Friendship
A deadbeat suburban dad tries to befriend his cool new neighbour in Friendship. Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) is a marketing executive living in the suburbs with his wife Tami (Kate Mara) and son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Tami has just recovered from cancer treatment, and the family is preparing to move from their home in Clovis, Colorado.
However, when returning a mistakenly delivered package, Craig meets his new neighbour, Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a local meteorologist who plays in a local punk rock band. Craig and Austin begin hanging out, as the latter shows Craig a secret aqueduct passage to City Hall and how to pick wild mushrooms. However, when Craig oversteps his bounds at a party, Austin abruptly decides to end the friendship. However, it turns out that Craig is unable to handle this type of rejection.
Friendship Synopsis
Friendship is a dark comedy and the debut feature film from writer/director Andrew DeYoung. The film stars comedian Tim Robinson (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers) as Craig Waterman, a sad sack of a marketing executive, who seems more interested in seeing the new Marvel movie (and avoiding spoilers) than spending time with his cancer-recovering wife Tami, played by Kate Mara, and his teenage son Steven, played by Jack Dylan Grazer (Shazam!). Desperate for a new buddy, Craig begins hanging out with his cool new neighbour, Austin Carmichael, played by Paul Rudd, heavily channelling his character of Brian Fantana from the Anchorman films.
Craig and Austin seem to be developing a rapport with each other until Craig gives Austin a cheap shot during a drunken boxing match at a party. Combined with the stresses of moving to do weather reports during the morning news broadcast, Austin decides to stop hanging out with Craig. However, Craig takes this rejection very personally, and he begins to desperately try to win back Austin’s friendship.
My Thoughts on Friendship
Arguably, the simplest description of Friendship is that the film is I Love You, Man from Hell. Like that 2009 film, also starring Paul Rudd, Friendship tackles the subject of bromances. However, this film tackles what would happen if a budding male friendship turns into an obsession.
Since comedy is subjective, many watching Friendship would find Tim Robinson’s character of Craig Waterman’s growing obsession with Rudd’s Austin Carmichael as either incredibly hilarious, immensely disturbing, or a combination of the two. I also have the opinion that even though Craig is a very unhinged individual, Austin is the true antagonist of the film, especially as he becomes too accepting of Craig, before abruptly rejecting him. Of course, Friendship is depicted entirely from Craig’s perspective, so this can just be the projection of a mentally unwell man.
The third wheel, so to speak, in Friendship is Kate Mara as Craig’s wife, Tami. There are hints dropped throughout the film that Craig’s marriage to Tami isn’t on the best of terms, especially as she begins hanging out with one of her ex-boyfriends. However, things with Tami take a very dark turn in the third act of Friendship, which also results in Kate Mara saying a line that will likely result in many asking, “What the Hell?”
If anything, Friendship is notable for being the first lead film role for Saturday Night Live alum Tim Robinson, who has gained a cult following over his decade-long career. Robinson makes for a solid foil to Paul Rudd, who is essentially playing a typical Paul Rudd character, albeit with some cracks that occasionally show through the facade. I can’t guarantee that everyone will laugh, but Friendship goes on to show why men can’t be friends.
Trailer for Friendship
