Buying the Cow

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

After five years of dating, David (Jerry O'Connell) gets what he feels is an ultimatum from his girlfriend, Sarah (Bridgette Wilson). She thinks they should get married. When his old buddy, Tyler (Ron Livingston of Swingers), a legendary womanizer, calls to announce his wedding plans, it only increases the pressure on David. When Sarah leaves town on a business trip, David has a chance to explore his options. He turns to his friends, Jonesey (Bill Bellamy), and the unrepentant lothario Michael (Ryan Reynolds, who also starred in director Walt Becker's National Lampoon's Van Wilder) for advice. Jonesey half-heartedly encourages David to marry Sarah. Michael, who treats women shabbily, tries to talk David out of it. David tells his friends about an epiphany that he had many years earlier, when he saw beautiful blond Julie (Erinn Bartlett) in an airport, and was instantly smitten. He knew she was the one. He courageously handed the strange girl his phone number, and a brief romantic correspondence ensued, but it ended disastrously. Uncertain about his destiny with Sarah, David spots another woman at a Mexican restaurant, and has the same feeling he had with Julie. He spends a lot of time and effort trying to track this mystery woman down, while Sarah, frustrated by their lack of progress, considers ending their relationship. Michael, meanwhile, has a real identity crisis, when he wakes up in a strange bed after a night of drinking, drugs, and debauchery, only to find a gay man in the bedroom with him. Buying the Cow also stars Alyssa Milano, Annabeth Gish, and Jon Tenney. The film was co-written by director Becker and Peter W. Nelson. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: English, Spanish, Thai, French, Korean
• Features:
  • cc
  • Digitally mastered audio & anamorphic video
  • Mastered in high definition
  • Widescreen and full screen presentations
  • Filmographies
  • Bonus trailers
  • Audio: English 5.1, English 2-chanel, French
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai
  • Interactive menus
  • Scene selections

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Walter Becker

• Producer:

  Brad Jenkel, Dan Etheridge

• Screenwriter:

  Walter Becker, Peter W. Nelson

REVIEW:

• Buying the Cow features stars from such films as Wildcats, Love Stinks, National Lampoon's Van Wilder, and Def Jam's How to Be a Player, in addition to Alyssa Milano and an awful title. One doesn't approach a film like this with high expectations, and while Buying the Cow may be crude, sexist, and homophobic, it's also much funnier than it has any right to be. The story line is pretty standard stuff for this kind of post-collegiate sex comedy. David (Jerry O'Connell) is afraid to commit to his long-term girlfriend, Sarah (Bridgette Wilson), who wants them to get married. He still thinks he can find his perfect dream girl -- "the one." It's a routine setup, but it's presented brightly enough to hold the audience's interest. Well into the film, a major subplot is introduced involving Michael(Ryan Reynolds), David's womanizing buddy, who wakes up one morning after a fuzzily remembered one-night stand, feeling like he's met the love of his life, only to be greeted by a flamboyant gay man who praises him for his stamina. There follows a ridiculous chase scene, as the panicked Michael flees the apartment naked and is mistaken for a child molester. The scene degenerates from there. It's hard to imagine anyone old enough to be watching the film getting much pleasure out of seeing a little poodle raping an unconscious police dog. The scene is a little too broad, and jars with the more naturalistic tone of the rest of the film. But Reynolds brings a unique energy to the proceedings. Comparable to Jim Carrey, he plays his outrageous slapstick role broadly and bravely, but with a layer of recognizable humanity underneath. It's safe to say that one's reaction to his antics is a good indicator of how much pleasure one will get out of the film. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi