Cedar Rapids

Review by Eddie Fleisher

Ed Helms is Tim Lippe, a nerdy insurance agent from Wisconsin. Lippe's life is boring, and he severely lacks self-esteem. He's also extremely naive - he thinks the woman (Sigourney Weaver) using him for sex is his girlfriend, when she's clearly not interested in the role. Luckily, things are about to change.

When Lippe's co-worker (the brilliant Thomas Lennon) dies from auto-erotic asphyxiation, Lippe is sent by his boss to represent their company at the big annual convention. It's there that he meets three other insurance agents, played by John C. Reilly, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Anne Heche - like Lippe, each one has their own personal obstacles to overcome. From there, chaos ensues, lessons are learned, and Lippe comes out a hero. It sounds simple on paper, but in the film, it's much messier.


CEDAR RAPIDS is raunchy, goofy, and a bit absurd. Anne Heche gets naked, John C. Reilly is in his underwear a lot, and there's even scenes of Ed Helm's character doing a barrage of drugs with Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) who plays a hooker. The film gets off to a slow start, but once it hits the middle, there's plenty of laugh out loud moments.

However, it's not just the funny and crazy parts that make the movie so enjoyable. Somehow, there lies a very endearing story behind all the hi-jinks. You grow to love Tim Lippe and his friends, and you find yourself rooting them on. Perhaps, it's because we can all relate to each character's personal shortcomings. CEDAR RAPIDS is a goofball comedy with a really big heart. 3 out of 4 stars.