Life of the Party

“When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna (Melissa McCarthy) turns regret into reset by going back to college…landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who’s not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna – now Dee Rock – embraces freedom, fun and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.”

Deanna and her husband Dan (Matt Walsh) drop off their daughter Maddie (Molly Gordon) for her senior year at college. Not even out of the parking lot, Dan drops the bomb that he’s been having an affair, wants a divorce, and is selling the house. Understandably a mixed mess of emotions, Deanna jumps out of the car and finds another way back home. Helping her deal with the situation are her parents (Stephen Root, Jacki Weaver), and her best friend Christine (Maya Rudolph). As Deanna reflects on her life by looking through an old photo album seeing her old archeology club, she decides to go back to visit Maddie to tell her that she and her father are getting a divorce, and to tell her that she’s enrolling in classes at the same school.

Deanna meets Maddie’s friends and sorority sisters Helen (Gillian Jacobs), Amanda (Adria Arjona) and Debbie (Jessie Ennis), and starts to get back into the spirit of college life overdoing it a bit on the school spirit aspect. As Deanna settles in to her drastic change she struggles with encroaching on her daughter’s life but it quickly welcomed in as one of the group when she’s invited to a college party on campus. After an impromptu make-over with her daughter, Deanna meets Jack (Luke Benward) at the party. About half her age, Luke finds he has a lot in common with Deanna and finds her fascinating, continually trying to form a relationship. Eventually, Deanna gets into the groove of college life, participating in school sports, studying for presentations, dealing with bullies, and being inducted into the sorority, but still has to juggle the realities of her impending divorce and change in her personal life.

I’m not afraid to admit that for quite a long time I was not a fan of Melissa McCarthy. After her popularity explosion with Bridesmaids, she was everywhere, with her slapstick physical comedy seeming to be the only thing in her repertoire. Although I still don’t actively go seek out her films I have found her to be a lot funnier, especially her portrayal of Sean Spicer on SNL. That being said, Life of the Party surprised me immensely. This isn’t quite the typical Melissa McCarthy film in terms of physical comedy, as there are only one or two bits of it and I actually did find those quite funny. The rest of it is just situational comedy of a middle-aged woman going back to college with her daughter, but even then it doesn’t rely on that very heavily, because her daughter quickly accepts her mother and what she’s going through to have the best time she can with her. At its core, the film is a very heartfelt story of divorce and change later in life, making the best out of a bad situation, and realizing you can go back and do anything you want.

Of course Melissa McCarthy is the main selling point for a lot of people, but I was more impressed personally with the supporting cast. Several SNL alums including Chris Parnell and Maya Rudolph, as well as current member Heidi Gardner. Stephen Root, Matt Walsh and several other comedians make sure that there is never a dull moment or missed opportunity for a joke. It’s definitely a well-rounded cast that elevates this film a bit higher than I would have otherwise thought.

What you saw on the trailers is basically what the film is. There is no deeper meaning or giant surprises in store for you. Even though a divorce is a messy situation that ruins lives, The Life of the Party really isn’t about that. It’s just Melissa McCarthy making the best out of a bad situation and finding some laughs along the way. If that’s what you expect and something you can enjoy, you may find some entertainment value from this film.

Video

Life of the Party is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.4:1. The transfer looks great with no defects noticed throughout. Being a straightforward comedy, you wouldn’t expect anything too elaborate when it comes to the palate or use of cinematography, and this is exactly the case here. With fine balance between colors, this film is unimpressive and does the job just fine.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds fine as well, with the vast majority of the audio coming through the center channel in the form of dialogue. What range you will hear in the surrounds are basically atmospheric effects or things of that nature. The soundtrack does sound great and features some great tunes that complement the film perfectly, especially during the 80’s party.

Special Features

Some great extras on the disc as well. Fans of the film will definitely want to check these out, which include:

• ‘80’s Party
• Mom Sanwich
• Deleted Scenes
• Line-O-Rama
• Bill Hate-O-Rama
• Gag Reel

Fans of Melissa McCarthy will for sure find enjoyment in Life of the Party, while others may be able to appreciate the shift toward more situational comedy that includes a lot of funny people. Featuring a lot of heartfelt moments that will speak to and give inspiration to a lot of people, it’s worth checking out if you have the opportunity.