Cedar Rapids (2011) User Reviews (110)

Butterscotch is Pre-Engaged

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 20 February 2011]

Greetings again from the darkness. I have said many times that comedies are the most difficult of all film genres since no two people have the same sense of humor. While many people laughed til they cried during "The Hangover", others walked out of the theatre or simply had no interest at all. The same can be said for just about any Mel Brooks movie, as well as his contemporary, Judd Apatow. What we do know, is that a comedy's chance for success comes down to its characters, and in this area, "Cedar Rapids" works like a charm.

Ed Helms (Andy in "The Office") stars as Tim Lippe, the most sheltered, naive mid-western insurance agent ever captured on film. Lippe lives and works in Brown Valley, Wisconsin ... the most sheltered, naive mid-western town ever captured on film. His only real excitement is found through his "pre-engagement" to his 7th grade teacher played very well by Sigourney Weaver (probably the most worldly person in Brown Valley). When an embarrassing accident claims the life of the hot shot agent in Lippe's firm, the owner (Stephen Root) sends Lippe to the annual convention in Cedar Rapids. His mission is to win the coveted 2-Diamond Award presented by industry legend Orin Helgesson (a snippy Kurtwood Smith).

Since a lone character can't generate many laughs, circumstances at the convention cause Lippe to find himself roommates with a very noble Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock, Jr from "The Wire") and fast-talking poacher Dean Ziegler (John C Riley). These 3 are joined together by Nebraska agent Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche). Lippe is quickly introduced to the "real world" by his new friends and after the first 20 minutes of set-up, the lines and settings get funnier and funnier.

As with most comedies these days, the trailer gives away much more than it should; but, unlike most, it leaves plenty of laughs and situations for the film. What really makes this work is that all characters are actually pretty nice people ... they are just a bit exaggerated in their traits. Lippe is a bit too naive. Wilkes is a bit too uptight. Ziegler is a bit too obnoxious, and Fox is just a little too lonely and adventurous. Still, their earnestness is what keeps the film grounded.

Mr. Helms is really a comic force. He has the extraordinary ability to never hold back or worry how that he might not look cool. Even as the lead character, he knows when scene-stealer John C Riley should have the spotlight. This is a tremendous asset for a comic.

I won't give away much, but will warn that some of the humor is crude ... especially some of Riley's rapid-fire one-liners. If you prefer your humor to be grounded with real people, then you might want to check this one out. I have only previously known this director, Miguel Arteta, as the guy responsible for Jennifer Aniston's best screen performance ("The Good Girl"). Now I look forward to his next project.

Better Than I Anticipated. Ensemble Cast Elevates This Feel Good Comedy

[Instant_Palmer · 7/10 · 26 April 2022]

Expected to kill 90 minutes and probably not even finish watching 'Cedar Rapids', BUT Ed Helms led the highly capable ensemble cast of John Reilly, Signory Weaver, Isiah Whitlock, and Anne Heche down the rabbit hole to his world of dweeb awkwardness, and the result is a satisfyingly sweet little guy wins comedy. Well written and paced.

Recommended viewing when you think there is no comedy you haven't seen before that would be a deemed worthy of your time. Earns my Two Diamond Award for being such a nice surprise.

💠💠

A Real Gem

[psheehanuk · 6/10 · 6 May 2011]

I have to admit that when I saw the poster for this, I thought it looked lame. I then checked out IMDb and saw it had 7.2. I still wasn't convinced. I then only watched it because it was the only film on at the time I wanted to go out. And I'm glad I did. This film is gem - a mix between an indie film, dark comedy and farce. It kind of reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite but not as quirky. This film is funny and really enjoyable on so many levels. The cast is perfect - all performing above and beyond. John C Reilly is a legend in this film and just about steals the show from Ed Helms. I suggest you go watch this film expecting very little and you'll come away feeling like you've just been given a free gift, unlike most films which rob you!

Not your typical fish-out-of-water comedy

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 7/10 · 29 July 2011]

"What happens in Cedar Rapids stays in Cedar Rapids," says Joan, a "one of the guys" kinda woman played by Anne Heche who views her yearly trip to an insurance conference in Cedar Rapids as momentary liberation from her life's irrevocable commitments. For those of us who've tried to spend as little time in Iowa as possible, that little mantra's something of a joke, but escapism means something different to everyone. "Cedar Rapids" puts much in perspective this way by showcasing adults as the children they often are.

Ed Helms gets his first starring role as Tim Lippe, an insurance agent from Brown Valley, Wisc. who's never set foot out of his hometown and is even sleeping with his seventh grade teacher (Sigourney Weaver) to whom he's "pre-engaged." When the insurance company's golden boy dies of auto-erotic asphyxia (which Tim regularly refers to as "an accident"), Tim must represent the company at the annual ASMI conference in Cedar Rapids where he must win the coveted Two-Diamond award for excellence or it will cost the company dearly.

Helms nails the fish-out-of-water character using much of the same naiveté that made him a beloved addition to "The Office." Although in many instances his super-small-town mentality serves as a comedic ploy, it informs the way we watch the rest of the film, namely how he interacts with his new group of friends, characters that rather accurately represent the array of business types.

Tim first meets Ronald (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), the amicable by-the-books guy with who tells bland jokes and means well. Then John C. Reilly storms onto the scene as Dean Ziegler a.k.a "The Deanzy," the straight-shooting schmoozer with absolutely no filter and as such, the source of much of the laughs so long as you find humor in creative vulgarity. Last would of course be Joan, who jokes around about seducing Tim but behaves otherwise. Heche seems to have found the path many actresses looking to rebound have taken: playing a damaged middle-aged woman trying to feel things out.

Essentially these characters are grown-up children in much the same way that the "The Office" brings playground dynamics to the adult world. Team-building activities and getting drunk are just the beginning for what these characters do and consequently how they behave. For Tim, it's a long-delayed loss of innocence. He learns that even parts of his ho-hum life can have a two-faced nature; those people he believes to be bad end up good and vice versa.

Director Miguel Arteta ("Youth in Revolt") seems to show an adeptness at this kind of comedy, drawing performances from the cast that provide nuanced characterization and believability. A comedy about Midwestern insurance agents doesn't work if the people don't seem average, yet at the same time, the characters are far from dull.

"Cedar Rapids" mostly struggles as most indies do in finding a balance between comedy and poignancy. The over-the-top comedic elements seem to push away from the dramatic, which is the film's greater strength. There's plenty of humor to be had in the nature of the story to the point that a scene with Tim going over the edge and smoking crack with a prostitute doesn't seem essential to say the least. Tim's reactions to moral conundrums seem a bit exaggerated as well in terms of the writing.

The ending lacks a bit of zing, but the intentions of Phil Johnston's script are pure and true. His focus stays on a well-cast protagonist and Tim's attitudes help create the perspective shift that allows us to enter the characters' shoes. The results are light-hearted and not preachy in the least.

~Steven C

Visit my site at http://moviemusereviews.com

Feel good fun on so many levels, but not for everyone.

[nowego · 7/10 · 22 August 2014]

Deciding to watch this was totally based on the IMDb reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect. Happily after watching this twice in a few days I can say it really hit the spot.

Not being a huge fan of any of the leads and not having seen anything of Ed Helms prior I was not expecting anything brilliant here, but I really enjoyed this both times watching. I would regard this as a feel good comedy rather than a straight out comedy. Some of the humour would not be appreciated by everyone and will probably be regarded as quite silly, but I think it suited the movie.

John C. Reilly's movies can be a bit hit and miss, as his humour tends toward toilet humour in many cases and if you are not into that it can be a bit of a turn off. While some of the humour is a bit lowbrow, if you can get over that you will enjoy this movie.

I gave it a 7 out of 10 and will be watching it again.

Hands down The best coming-of-age film for 40 somethings.

[rooprect · 9 May 2018]

In all fairness I've never seen any other coming-of-age films for 40 somethings, so it's not much of a competition. But if this movie is any indication, there should be more.

"Cedar Rapids" is the story of a 40 something small town insurance salesman "Lippe" (Ed Helms) who leaves his small town for the first time. He travels to Cedar Rapids for an insurance convention in what turns out to be sort of a spring break for grown ups. And amidst all the hijinks he realizes some startling realizations about the real world which you & I might take for granted, but as seen through the eyes of a sheltered overgrown boyscout like Lippe, these realizations take on new meaning.

Yes, it's a comedy, but don't expect a raucous madcap misadventure like your standard teen coming-of-age flick. Instead what sets this apart is its level of maturity while being wacky. Lippe isn't stupid, he's just sheltered. So he learns quickly, and that's the power of this story. A plot like this could've easily been played for cheap laughs, but instead it forsakes the predictable cartoonish gags in lieu of something more like real life. That's not saying it's boring or dry (Lippe has his first exposure to alcohol, skinny dipping, prostitutes, drugs and fights, not to mention his hilariously awkward first time meeting a black man) so there's plenty going on. But it's all handled very tastefully--almost charmingly--rather than silly. And yet you still laugh because it's just so bizarre.

At the heart of the film is a timeless revelation we all can appreciate: what happens when the protected bubble you've lived in suddenly pops? Whether you're a kid learning there's no Santa Claus, or an adult learning that your idealistic view of the world was naïve, the feeling is the same, and this movie captures that feeling in a great way.

The entire cast is spectacular with a stand out performance by John C Reilly (you might recognize as "Dewey Cox" in Walk Hard) who plays a despicable cheeseball "Ziegler" whom you come to love. Isiah Whitlock Jr plays "Ronimal", Lippe's first black friend, who is almost as clueless as Lippe but stay tuned as he does an awesome parody of the gritty tv show "The Wire" (which Whitlock starred in). Rounding out Lippe's circle of new misfit friends is Anne Heche who plays "O-Fox", sort of the convention slut.

"Cedar Rapids" is a really clever and entertaining story that doesn't sink to crass humor to make its point (ok maybe there's 1 fart joke during the end credits). In a weird way it reminded me of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" or maybe the hilarious indie real estate comedy "Open House". I never thought I'd sit through a 90 min movie about an insurance convention, but this one really surprised me.

Overall Really Nice Comedy With Perfect Characters...

[timwat-960-593372 · 7/10 · 26 July 2011]

OK, so I seen this film on IMDb with quite a good rating and wanted to know what the fuss was about so, I proceeded to purchase and watch the movie, I have to tell you I put it on expecting it to be terrible, and for the first 10 minutes I did find it pretty boring with jokes that just didn't really make the cut but believe me people once the real storyline kicks in, this movie can be pretty hilarious in places, with characters that EVERYBODY will love, I have seriously not seen a movie in a long time where I felt as if I liked the characters this much, overall its a short laugh riot, which really does deserve the rating it gets online, its only on for around 1hour and 20 minutes, and the jokes come every 1 - 2 minutes so you should be entertained throughout the whole movie.

Lazy Script undercuts good work by the actors

[LordJiggy · 4/10 · 30 May 2011]

Really wanted to like this film (I mean, look at the cast). It had an interesting premise, but after a while the lazy shortcuts the script took became too egregious to ignore.

(Commencing character spoilers now)

a) All of the specifically identified "religious" people turned out to be hypocrites who were either corrupt or foul-mouthed to an extreme when they didn't get what they wanted. Lazy, clichéd, been done to death.

b) About 2/3 thru the story, our hero ends up at a mid-western crack house, where he emotionally opens up after the most excellent catharsis provided by crack and cocaine. Incredibly lazy writing there, to say nothing of the philosophical prostitute with the implied heart of gold.

c) The paragon of integrity turns out to be the foul-mouthed drunken lout, the only person in touch enough with himself to be true and real, and helps our hero on the path to his real self.

You get the idea. What a waste of a good, talented, cast.

My insurance agent was never this funny.

[mikechinea · 10/10 · 6 February 2011]

I think Ed Helms just invented a new genre, the Midwestern. Ed Helms, Anne Heche, John C. Riley and Isiah Whitlock Jr. take you on one heck of a funny ride from the very beginning all the way through the end credits. Miguel Arteta did a terrific job directing the talented ensemble. Phil Johnston's hilarious screenplay humor was kept real without succumbing to worn out clichés. Ed Helms' character insurance agent Tim Lippe made you believe in his distinct sense of right and wrong. He transformed those around him by example not preaching. Every character added to the richness and heart of the movie. What could have easily become another sophomoric slapstick comedy turned out to be a wonderful story that just happened to be the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

Okay script elevated by a great cast

[zetes · 7/10 · 27 February 2011]

My first 2011 film. It's a pretty unambitious comedy, but it survives because of a fantastic cast. Too fantastic, really. I have to wonder what drew them to this rather middling material. Ed Helms (of The Office and The Daily Show) stars as a sheltered insurance salesman from a small town in northern Wisconsin who is drafted by his boss (Stephen Root) to go to an insurance conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He's pretty inexperienced with life outside his own little bubble, and he gets led astray by troublemaker John C. Reilly. The film also co-stars Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. (who co-starred in HBO's The Wire, a series for which the character espouses a lot of love), Anne Heche (extremely good - probably the only good thing I've ever seen her done), Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawkat (of the TV series (not the rap group) Arrested Development) and Kurtwood Smith (of That 70s Show and RoboCop). I wanted to see this one because of its Midwestern setting. Part of me was afraid that it would be Hollywood making fun of Midwesterners, but it's pretty gentle. Helms may play a sheltered small-town guy, but it's just him (Reilly's character is from Steven's Point, WI, and he's not a rube; he is a drunk, though). The film actually has a lot of affection for the Midwest, and it has a lot of heart.

Is this funny for church goers in the mid-west?

[zhombu · 3/10 · 14 March 2011]

Seriously, someone read this script and decided to fund it? For what reason? The laughs simply aren't. Ed Helms may have been perfect for the Daily Show but he is not leading man material. His face isn't funny. His voice isn't funny. His mannerisms aren't funny. He just can't carry a movie, there's really nothing there.

We're supposed to believe that a 35+ year old insurance salesman is so non-worldly, he can't figure out what a prostitute is, yet he's busy in the opening scene with his elementary school teacher, Sigourney Weaver, who sleepwalks through her lines in obvious boredom. John C. Reilly unimaginatively plays the most obvious over-the-top crass salesman who checks all the boxes of this type of over worn character. The other actors fill their respective spaces, with Ann Heche being especially creepy.

Everything that happens is as predictable as sundown, no surprises at all. Oh my, Ed Helms doesn't do drugs, but here, he's going to...and we have to sit through that 15 minutes section of the movie. Golly, the head of the seminar is crooked...and we have to wait while that plays out letter-by-letter. Heavens, there's cursing and shock value lines as out of place as Stephen Hawking at a quinceañera. It seems as if it was written by a hayseed as clueless as the main character. Honestly, he reacts to a "black man" in his hotel room as if it was an outtake of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" that they scrapped because it was too stupid...in 1967.

Like a bad car wreck covered by yellow sheets, "move along people, there's nothing to see here!" I'd almost rather see a Matt Damon film.

What happens in the Rapids may put some of Vegas to shame

[StevePulaski · 9/10 · 9 August 2011]

Cedar Rapids is 2011's second overlooked comedy gem, with the first being the retro throwback Take Me Home Tonight. This is a subtle, funny, witty, and different film that has innocent characters, with one thing in common - their job. These characters could very well be America's second wolfpack.

I always wonder what would happen if these type of films, underrated comedies, got the same attention and recognition films like The Hangover and Pineapple Express got. Would we hear more quotes and references from these films? Would America have a different taste in humor? Would Cedar Rapids set the bar for newer comedies? It's all "would's" and "what if's." The plot: Naive insurance salesman Tim Lippe (Helms) is what some may call a "loser." He lives a quiet life, isn't the most social person, and sleeps with his old fourth grade teacher (Weaver). Tim has to attend an insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, and this will be the first time he has flown or stayed in a hotel. He believes everyone will be as nice as back home, but in fact, everyone is different and the real-world will bite Tim in the rear.

Tim stays in a suite with three people;. He meets soft-spoken, quiet-man Ronald Wilkes (Whitlock Jr.). Loud-mouth, party animal Dean Ziegler (Reilly). And married, but sweet Joan (Heche). This group of new-friends are all after one thing; an award that the manager of the convention, (Smith), will give to one representative of their company.

This is one of those rare occasions where the characters are so sweet, so innocent, and so well-developed I want to just hug them. Each character is likable in their own way. Even Ziegler, who is not a victim of his simpleton self or his own stupidity like Alan from The Hangover, is a very serious and loving guy despite his hard-partying self.

Certain films, once again referring back to The Hangover, rely on antics to carry the comedy which is perfectly fine with me. But when the antics play like a "how-far-can-we-go-type-of-comedy" the result becomes a repetitive and unenjoyable comedy. Cedar Rapids has antics, but not antics just for the purpose of a cheap, gross-out laugh and that's what makes this gem stand out.

If 2011 doesn't offer any more hilarious comedies, which I highly doubt, The Art of Getting By, Bridesmaids, Cedar Rapids, Hall Pass, and Take Me Home Tonight proudly make 2011 one funny year.

Starring: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kurtwood Smith, Stephen Root, Mike O'Malley, Sigourney Weaver , and Alia Shawkat. Directed by: Miguel Arteta.

a funny, sweet movie that takes insurance seriously

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 22 March 2011]

Growing up in and working around insurance people my whole life, the world of Cedar Rapids is spot-on; the personality types, the (yes) Christianity, the stupid prizes that give your company this or that credibility, the scandals, the pressure to sell. You don't have to be from that world to appreciate the movie - there's the performances that go a long way, including the first one from Ed Helms that shows he has some real range past his work on The Daily Show and The Hangover (or the Office even), and John C. Reilly of course and Anne Hece - but it does add a certain something that I wasn't expecting. The world of insurance isn't used simply as a goofy thing that the characters work at, albeit it could also be real estate. It's how the world of salesmen works in a comedic context but at the same time is grounded in what is happening.

It also helps that the main character Helms plays, a sheltered guy who when not screwing his former math teacher (Sigourney Weaver) is being okay but not great at a Midwest insurance office, is a genuinely nice, sweet guy. Maybe too nice, which is where the dichotomy takes place between his mild-mannered self and the brusque, crude guy that Reilly plays. He, too, is also kind of sweet, but way underneath all of his braggadocio and big comments about women and "curse" words. The story moves at a good pace and the comedy comes out through some unexpected absurdism (the Christian angle) and through some sexual antics that are howlingly funny (when Helms decides to sleep with Anne Heche's character he yells "LET'S MAKE LOVE!") The quirks are kept to a minimum, despite coming from the director of Youth in Revolt, among other drama-comedies.

The only time the film really lost me was when the protagonist goes with a young hooker-type-druggie character to a big party and does some unseemly things with drugs. It wasn't that it seemed out of character at the moment (at that point anyway he's in a desperate situation), but it just went too far ans wasn't as funny as it could have been as they chose that route. Plus the ending comes on a bit rushed. But in general, Cedar Rapids has the kind of sensibility that would bring Alexander Payne on as a producer: natural, human comedy with real tragedy underneath, and pathos. It's not great, but it gets the job done. And it feels real, which is hit or miss with the kind of cast here like Helms and Reilly. 7.5/10

Okay, but not fantastic

[acjohnson55 · 5/10 · 21 February 2011]

Cedar Rapids definitely provides some good laughs, but don't expect to be laughing throughout. And as with so many recent movies, if you've seen the previews, you've seen about half of the punchlines, anyway. As a former Iowan, I was disappointed that the movie didn't really capture much of the vibe of the state, in my opinion. It might as well have been filmed just about anywhere in the Midwest, with the corresponding title change.

Ed Helms is decent, but he lacks the active style of humor that he brings to The Office. In this movie, it's not so much that he himself is funny as it is that the things that go on around his childlike character are amusing. His Midwestern dialog comes off flatter than I would like, as compared to, say, Fargo, Juno, or Napolean Dynamite, in which the quirkiness of Midwestern dialog really shines through.

But my biggest complaint about the movie is it's cynical morality. By the end, most of the outwardly good people turn out to be jerks, and most of the outwardly amoral people are the good guys. Big surprise. And most of the morally questionable stuff that happens in the meantime turns out to have no real consequence whatsoever; it just happens, we have a few laughs, and then life goes on. Only the main character ever seems to be at all morally conflicted about his decisions, everyone else just does what they do. I'm not saying that movies need to have a message, it's just that this one bypasses any profound moral complexity for its banal approach of simple, inverted morality.

Anyway, I saw the movie because I thought it would be cool to see a movie set in Iowa. If you don't have a similar reason to see it, you won't be missing much if wait to catch it on video--or not at all.

So-so comedy but doesn't rise to its potential

[bob the moo · 5 July 2011]

This film got reasonable reviews so I decided to make the effort to check it out, not least of which because of the cast that features quite a few names and faces that I know from either being instantly recognizable (Weaver, Reilly, Heche) or from their work on other projects that I like a great deal (The Office, Arrested Development, The Wire etc). The plot here is fairly straightforward, a small-town insurance salesman has to replace a colleague at a regional conference in Cedar Rapids and win the prestigious award that his company has won many years running. It is a simple idea and much of the comedy will come from the sweetly naïve Tim having his eyes opened to a wider world while also trying to keep his principles in place. Like I say, a basic plot and it very much depends on what the script does within that frame.

There are plenty of ideas here and plenty of set-pieces but the problem is that the film doesn't really deliver any of them really well. On one hand we have aspects of it that are the rather awkward naïve comedy that Helms does with his character in The Office. This manifests itself in his relationship with an older woman (she is having fun, he is deeply in love) or his inability to know a prostitute when he sees one. On the other hand we have the more exaggerated adventures he gets drawn into, these involving sex, drink and drugs. Neither of these two aspects is particularly strong either individually or together and, at best, they produce amusing moments and the occasionally laugh but nothing particularly engaging nor particularly funny. Instead what we get is plenty going on in terms of noise and activity and perhaps this is enough to distract and, for me, mostly it was. The actual plot is quite obvious and heads to a sort of solid ending but I was quite surprised by how lackluster much of it was.

The cast are perhaps part of me being disappointed in the outcome but all of them are capable of more. I liked Helms and he played the lead role well, just the material didn't play to his strengths as well as it suggested – it is like it put him between the awkwardness of The Office and the crude slapstick of The Hangover and he didn't sit comfortably between them. Reilly appears to offer the more boisterous side of things but again the film doesn't follow through on what he brings. Heche is a nice touch in casting and works well but Whitlock is wasted; his only contribution of note is to make a great little in-joke where he does an impression of The Wire's Omar (a TV show he was in) – it is funny but it is ruined within seconds since the film feels the need to explain the reference to the viewer. Various other faces do solid work without ever having too much to do, so while some are good, the overall feel is that a great cast don't have much to do. This feeling covers Smith, Shawat Corddry, Root and others.

In the end Cedar Rapids is an OK film that never gets close to delivering on anything it puts on the table. It has an odd mix of styles but it doesn't do any of them really well, which leaves a film loaded with recognizable faces and names, none of whom really excel because the script doesn't either. A solid so-so but no more than that.

A Mild Indie Comedy with Ed Helms

[brando647 · 6/10 · 9 August 2011]

Following the success of THE HANGOVER, Ed Helms has officially risen to leading man status. Granted it's only an independent film and I'm not even sure it got any sort of nationwide release, but you've got to start somewhere. CEDAR RAPIDS is a quirky comedy with a handful of dark elements and, while it has a fair share of laughs, it's pretty tame. Helms is insurance salesman Tim Lippe, an awkward man who never amounted to much. He often fades into the background in the shadow of superior salesman Roger Lemke, and his only real relationship is the on-going fling with his former grade school teacher. After an unfortunate incident means Lemke won't be able to represent Brownstar Insurance at the upcoming ASMI conference in Cedar Rapids, it's left up to Tim to try and win the coveted Two Diamonds award for the the third year in a row. It won't be easy: Tim's never been outside his hometown of Brown Valley, WI and he's socially incompetent. As if he doesn't have it rough enough, he finds himself mixed up with the likes of notorious wild-man and rumored "poacher", Dean Ziegler.

With the exception of a pretty dark final 30 minutes where Helms' Lippe hits rock bottom, the film is pretty light. If it weren't for a good amount of vulgar humor (mostly from John C. Reilly's Ziegler), this film probably would've fallen to a PG-13 rating. A lot of the laughs come from Lippe's wide-eyed wonder at the real world and Ziegler's drunken antics. The gags in the film never really amount to more than a few chuckles, even when Helms loses his mind. It's a fun enough story with Lippe trying his darnedest to represent Brownstar in an honest fashion and finding out how even an institution like his beloved ASMI isn't impervious to the corruption of the world. Unfortunately, chuckles are about all the film amounts to. For a film billed as a comedy, there aren't a whole lot of "laugh out loud" moments. It's a shame too because the pairing of Helms and Reilly is a promising one. The film's quirkiness takes center stage with corny jokes and nicknames taking center stage over any real jokes. Amusing, yes. Is it a film I'll be hyping up to my friends? Probably not.

Helms is a great straight-man. He's already got the look of a respectable man, so all he needs to do is freak out (at which he excels) in strange circumstances and he can usually get a laugh (see any scene of his in THE HANGOVER). Here, he's the ultimate straight-man and he plays innocent well. Reilly's Ziegler is his polar opposite, boisterous, often drunk, and at constant odds with ASMI headman Orin Helgesson (Kurtwood Smith). Reilly's a comedic heavyweight and gets most of the best laughs in the film and manages to balance a bit of a empathetic human side to his party animal. Rounding out the main cast are Anne Heche as feisty Joan Ostrowski-Fox and Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Ron Wilkes. Heche makes an for a hot red-head and her character treats every ASMI convention in Cedar Rapids like a trip to Vegas ("What happens in Cedar Rapids, stays in Cedar Rapids.") and Whitlock's Wilkes is the voice of reason amongst the group. Some great chemistry amongst the cast here but the film's just a little too tame, relying on minor chuckles instead of any real laughs. Or as Ronald Wilkes might put it, this film is N.T.S. In this case, "not that special."

Will attending a Convention lead to "CONVENTIONAL" Results?!... [ See OTHER REVIEWS at: http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/ ]

[jimchudnow-1 · 7/10 · 9 February 2011]

Insurance agents are generally NOT particularly looked-upon with great "favor" by very many people (& for good reason). This movie attempts to put the lives of some such agents in a different, quasi-"QUIRKY" perspective… … Tim Lippe (ED HELMS from "THE OFFICE" on TV) is an easy-going 34-year-old agent living & working in Brown Valley, WI. He's not especially "cutting-edge" when it comes to life experiences, but, he LOVES his simple existence there, in part because he's shacking-up & "pre-engaged" with his ex-7th-grade teacher, Macy (or Millie) Vanderhei (SIGOURNEY WEAVER)… … His agency is proud to have won "Silver Diamond" awards from an insurance group promoting "Christian" ideals. But, things become very disturbed when the head of the agency is shown to have behaved in a "shocking" manner… Because of that situation, innocent Ed is sent to represent the agency at the NEW convention the group is holding in Cedar Rapids, IA… … Ed is impressed with the "modern" & "fancy" trappings he encounters at the hotel where the Convention is to be held. He meets "friendly" girl Bree (ALIA SHAWKAT) outside the hotel, & doesn't realize what her "profession" is in the world of "greeting" strangers… She affectionately calls him "Butterscotch" (for reasons that will become obvious)… … He rooms with a Black American agent named Ronald Wilkes (ISIAH WHITLOCK, JR. – from "THE WIRE" on TV), who's outgoing & a "veteran" in attending such Conventions. To his shock & upset, Ed is also given another roomie named Dean Ziegler (JOHN C. REILLY)-- who his agency owner has "warned" him is a "POACHER" of clients who should be "avoided" at all costs… … John is an outgoing, unrefined, coarse loudmouth, who constantly delights in spouting RAUNCHY comments. Isiah is a little bothered by John, but he's warmly greeted by another veteran Conventioneer, Joan Ostrowski-Fox (ANNE HECHE), a worldly, outgoing married woman who seems to "know" everyone & who ENJOYS John's crudeness… … Ed is almost "overwhelmed" when meeting the President of the group holding the Convention, Orin Helgesson (KIRKWOOD SMITH from TV's "THAT 70's SHOW")… Not unexpectedly, "straight-arrow" sherry-swilling Ed is often "taken ABACK" at the antics of John & some of the others-- but, little-by-little, he keeps being "drawn-in" to more & more "shocking" activities… … WHO is really "behind" the reported "Petition" to RESCIND the "Silver Diamond" awards so important to Ed's agency?... Will Ed "give-in" to the "SEDUCTIVE" tendencies of Anne?... Will John prove to be the UNTRUSTWORTHY person Ed was warned he is?...

… Will Ed "LOOSEN-UP" per the efforts of Alia & John & others?-- and, if so, will that lead to any risky "CONSEQUENCES"?... Will Ed succeed at his attempt to win ANOTHER "Silver Diamond", & what methods would he use to try to ACHIEVE that?... What will "COME" of naïve Ed's being led into more "worldly" exploits at the Convention?...

… The cast does a FINE job at their roles, & that helps lead to a lot of FUNNY situations and enjoyment "beyond" the usual "scope" of such a "light" comedy… We don't often meet people of a lot of the "extremes" shown by the characters-- but, they're "BELIEVABLE" in the context set up… … So, since the plot "WORKS" & it's frivolous FUN, I'm giving it 7.25 out of 10 stars

great cast inhabiting these roles

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 14 May 2016]

Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is a reserved small town insurance salesman in Brown Valley, Wisconsin. He sleeps with his former teacher Macy Vanderhei. They are "basically pre-engaged". Brown Star Insurance is in line for an important Christian two diamond award from a trade association. When their ace presenter Roger commits suicide, Tim is sent to the big city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa to make the presentation. His boss Bill Krogstad sets him up with trusted Ronald Wilkes as his roommate and warns against Dean Ziegler. He's surprised by Ziegler as his other roommate. He falls for insurance agent Joan Ostrowski-Fox from Omaha, Nebraska. Orin Helgesson is the president of the trade association. Tim is clueless that Bree might be a prostitute working the convention.

The stakes may not be earth shattering but it is massive for these characters. This takes the conservative provincial world of insurance and digs up some fun inappropriate nuggets. The best thing in the movie is the great cast delivering well conceived characters. It's light subversive humor with some big laughs. John C. Reilly and Anne Heche are terrific. Ed Helms is hilarious embodying this small town guy. It's a comedy operating at a slower speed and it's fun to see. It's also an engaging drama about morality.

What a piece of junk

[moviemasochist · 1/10 · 17 February 2011]

I can't believe all the great reviews for this movie. It was vulgar, tasteless, and most importantly NOT funny. I can't remember the last time it was this painful to sit through a movie. I almost walked out like 10 times.

If you're the kind of person that thinks a lot of "outrageous" swearing is funny then I guess this is your kind of movie. If you think a small town guy from Vermont being afraid of black people is funny, please, go see this garbage. I am not a prude but smoking crack with hookers is not funny!! Neither is adultery. I laughed like twice in the entire film. I'm glad I saw it for free or I would want my money back. This way I just want my 2 hours back.

A rare gentle Hollywood comedy.

[runamokprods · 8/10 · 15 April 2014]

It's got raunch and craziness, but at it's heart it's a celebration of kindness, of community. of morality (not the stuffy kind, the good kind) – all while never losing it's sense of fun.

Ed Helms does a very nice job as a tremendously innocent insurance salesman from a small town in Wisconsin, sent to a convention in Cedar Rapids. This represents his first time on a plane, his first time in the 'big city'. But while the film may tease Tim a little, it doesn't treat him with the removed hip irony most films now would, and makes him a complex character (e.g. back home he has a fun sexual fling going with his 7th grade teacher, wonderfully played by Sigourney Weaver. He may be an innocent, but he's also a grown man with a sense of humor and self.).

This ability to both kid and embrace characters is a long-time strength of director Miguel Arteta and producer Alexander Payne. With some terrific support from John C. Reilly as a wild-man party animal at the convention (who has more humanity than you'd think), Isaiah Whitlock Jr. as a straight-laced black room-mate (who has more humor, and more of a sense of fun than you might think), and Anne Heche as a party girl (who is smarter and more soulful than you might think). Maybe not quite a great film, but a good hearted and very enjoyable one.

Brilliant and funny

[abundidi1184 · 7/10 · 5 August 2012]

Of course, there were the usual nice guy gone wild scenes, and stock happy ending, but this ensemble cast pulled it off brilliantly. There were many scenes in which I laughed out loud. I was disappointed in the scant use of Sigourney Weaver, however. Overall, a fun time was had by all who watched it. John C Reilly really made the movie. A true comedic actor. Ann Heche played a believable bored housewife out for her yearly fling. Good to see her again. Ed Helms played the perfect dork with a conscience. Isaiah Whitlock was solid, and I laughed at many of his scenes, but when they had him play a stereotype "black dude", it was kind of predictable, especially the reaction at the party in which everyone was "scared". Still, with all it's flaws I enjoyed it. Definitely re-able.

Funny at times but characters live in the gutter

[george_cherucheril · 4/10 · 3 July 2011]

I like the actors in this movie. Ed Helms is one of my favorite actors. If you have no moral code whatsoever then this movie deserves a rating of at least 8 on a 10 scale.

As a Catholic this movie offends my core beliefs. For starters, Tim is screwing around with his former teacher outside of marriage. Then, when Tim goes to the insurance convention he gets drunk and uses that as a reason to justify having sex with Ann Heche's character who happens to be married and a mother of several young kids. After this Tim hangs out with a prostitute at a drug party where he does a lot of drugs and kisses the prostitute. His friends stop him from having sex with the prostitute.

Then Tim bribes the president of the insurance association to win the coveted double diamond award. Of all these sins Tim is only sorry that he bribed the association president.

Also, in this movie there is a lot of demeaning sexual talk. Lots of gutter language. There is even a scene where Tim is taking a dump and another agent barges into the bathroom only to realize how stinky the room has become. Well, duh! That scene was not funny at all.

Overall, this movie demeans the human spirit and glorifies bad decision making.

A riot

[mikadikia · 10/10 · 31 August 2011]

I love this movie, really good dry humor. Don't listen to the whiners. Favorite line, "I apologize for my role in the malfeasance in the pool last night.". the movie is filled with ridiculous situations, a insurance salesman conference in a conference center covered with cheap wooden wall paneling. The star wears nerdy looking turtleneck brown sweaters. Some of the funniest movie lines I've heard "..oh I see your eatin' the canned tuna from the bottom shelf.". All the insurance salesmen (and women) are waaay to excited to be at the "ASMI" conference, it is obviously the highlight of their life. Dirty sexcrets everywhere underneath the blanket of these godly insurance salespeople. I can't think of a comedy like it, it builds on you.

A peculiar comedy for a sheltered guy from one slow town

[napierslogs · 7/10 · 23 June 2011]

"Cedar Rapids" is slow. And by that I mean, the humour in the film progresses slowly. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the town, is not slow. At least not to Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) because he's from Brown Valley, Wisconsin. He lives in a world that even those of us from similar towns don't believe that it's really that sheltered.

It's a peculiar brand of humour. One which results from Tim's complete naiveté. He becomes friends with a prostitute, is scared of a black man, and doesn't understand common hotel and airport practices. It's an immature adult comedy involving male genitalia humour, and using marijuana for the first time and then graduating to cocaine within a few minutes. Although it has an original plot (I've never seen a movie set at a Christian insurance convention before), it's a predictable plot. But that's also exactly how the filmmakers intended it to be. You are meant to just sit and enjoy yourself with the characters just as much as the comedic situations.

As the film progressed, it does get much funnier. Tim becomes more comfortable in his surroundings (at times too comfortable) and you become more comfortable too. And it's near the end that Isiah Whitlock Jr. has uttered some of the funniest lines you'll ever hear, John C. Reilly's drunken asshole becomes humanized, and Rob Corddry makes his anticipated appearance with Ed Helms. "Cedar Rapids" takes you to a peculiar place, but a funny and enjoyable one nonetheless.

Interesting Oz-like parallels masks smug critique of Midwest conservatives

[Turfseer · 5/10 · 18 January 2012]

It's probably no coincidence that Alexander Payne, one of the producers of the new quirky farce, 'Cedar Rapids', chose to support such a project, as there are a number of parallels with his 2002 quirky comedy, 'About Schmidt', starring Jack Nicholson. Both films have protagonists who work in the insurance industry. Schmidt is an insurance actuary and Ed Helms, who plays Tim Lippe in 'Cedar Rapids', is an insurance agent. Both films are set in the Midwest with 'Schmidt' set in Omaha, Nebraska and 'Cedar Rapids' in Iowa.

Director Miguel Arteta improves on the smugness of Payne's Schmidt character by making his Tim Lippe protagonist much more likable. Even the principal antagonist of the piece, President Helgesson (played by the always solid Kurtwood Smith) hardly seems offensive at all (just about the worst thing he does is take a $1500 bribe from Tim). As usually is the case with these quirky indie comedies or farces, the quirky protagonist must go on a journey of self-discovery, shedding a repressed upbringing while thwarting the goals of a reactionary group that wishes to maintain the status quo. Here, Tim partners with his lovable loser insurance agents, and thwarts his greedy boss who plans to sell Tim's Blue Diamond Insurance Company (another example of a conservative group getting their comeuppance at the hands of a quirky outsider are the beauty pageant officials in 'Little Miss Sunshine').

'Cedar Rapids' can be viewed as a farcical variation on the classic 'buddy' picture, 'The Wizard of Oz'. Ed Helms plays the 'Dorothy' character whose life is thrown in disarray when he's sent on an assignment to Cedar Rapids, to ensure that his insurance company wins the prized 'Two Diamond Award' for a third year in a row. Ultimately he seeks to return home restored to a state of equilibrium after visiting Cedar Rapids, an 'Emerald City' which he is dazzled by (Nerdy and naïve Tim has never even seen a card key to open a hotel door). Along the way, Tim meets three allies who aid him in his quest, similar to the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion from 'Oz'.

Tim needs someone with some 'brains' to overcome his childish infatuations. When he's dumped by Macy, the older girlfriend played by Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, adopting the Scarecrow role as bold housewife Joan, appeals to Tim's intellect and manages to help him reflect on his behavior, and actually calm him down to the point where he's able to function more like an adult.

Isiah Whitlock as Ronald Wilkes, is similar to the Tin Man, as he ultimately turns out to have a big heart. Wilkes saves Tim after he's knocked down and assaulted at the party, an 'inmost cave' where the group battles dark forces (in terms of 'Oz', the Wicked Witch's castle comes to mind). Whitlock has his best scene in the film when he pretends to be a bad-ass from the ghetto, as opposed to revealing his true demeanor as a mild mannered insurance agent.

Finally, there's John C. Reilly as Zeigler, the 'Cowardly Lion' who has the 'nerve' and 'courage' to encourage Tim to just be himself. Like the 'Cowardly Lion' in Oz, Zeigler provides the comic relief throughout the film, constantly challenging the status quo by uttering one outrageous bon mot after another.

President Helgesson might be the Wizard of the piece here, who leads Tim in the wrong direction by awarding The Two Diamond Award to Tim's company after he accepts the bribe. This is akin to Dorothy's fruitless quest for the Wicked Witch's broomstick. And just as the Wizard is 'found out', President Helgesson must be exposed in the end by Tim and his intrepid allies.

'Cedar Rapids' wins points for following the classic story pattern of a hero's mythic journey, albeit told in a decidedly comic fashion. It's also pretty good natured, which is an improvement over Director Arteta's recent and rather cold effort, 'Youth in Revolt'. Nonetheless, 'Cedar' continues the unwholesome tradition of many quirky indie films—the protagonists, in their 'anything goes' behavior, are held up as morally superior to the antagonists, who are merely 'straw men', derided as either sexually perverse, greedy and/or emotionally repressed.

If you dig Cedar's 'anything goes' philosophy, and you accept the simplistic premise that there is an inferior underclass of conservative reactionaries, this is a film that will warm you to the bone. Others , such as myself, will find these types of films to have a few amusing moments but ultimately too smug to be taken seriously.