'Will's playing the guy that everybody recognizes. That could be you," Witherspoon says of co-star
Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inboxPublished Jan 30, 2025  âąÂ Last updated 16 minutes ago  âąÂ 4 minute read
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Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon attend the "You're Cordially Invited" special screening at the London Palladium on Jan. 23, 2025. Photo by Gareth Cattermole /Getty ImagesIf you ever should find yourself at a karaoke bar one night and happen to spot Reese Witherspoon or Will Ferrell nestled somewhere in a corner, thereâs at least one song (in Willâs case two) that will cause them to grab the mic and happily storm the stage.
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Talking karaoke tunes with the two during a brief Zoom call might seem out of left field. But considering that Ferrell, 57, is singing a version of the 1983 Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton hit Islands in the Stream is one of the laugh-out-loud moments in their new wedding comedy, Youâre Cordially invited, the question isnât quite that out of place.
Witherspoon, who met Ferrell when she hosted Saturday Night Live back in 2001, curls her lips into a smile. He should already know what her go-to sing-along song is.
âItâs Blackstreet,â the 48-year-old Oscar winner smiles namechecking the â90s R&B group that was founded by record producers Chauncey âBlackâ Hannibal and Teddy Riley. âNo Diggity ⊠no doubt.â
Ferrell, clearly a fan of singing as previously evidenced by his role in the 2022 holiday musical Spirited, needs to think this one through.
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âWhatâs yours?â Witherspoon prods. âProud Mary or is it Private Dancer by Tina Turner?â
âI can do Private Dancer, sure ⊠Private Dancer or Tom Jonesâ Sheâs a Lady,â Ferrell replies.
Now streaming on Prime Video, Youâre Cordially Invited pits Witherspoon and Ferrell up against one another when the pair find that theyâve double-booked a wedding â she for her sister (Meredith Hagner) and he for his daughter (Geraldine Viswanathan) â at the same destination resort.
Hilarity ensues after the two wedding planners agree to share the venue once they discover the error, with Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Rory Scovel, Leanne Morgan, Jack McBrayer and, briefly, Peyton Manning adding to the comedic culture clash.
Islands in the Stream is played for big laughs when Ferrellâs doting dad sings the tune to celebrate his darling daughterâs big day.
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Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in âYouâre Cordially Invited.â Photo by Glen Wilson /Prime VideoThe idea to include the song during a sentimental moment came from the filmâs writer-director Nicholas Stoller (who co-wrote and directed 2022âs Bros). As Ferrell and his onscreen daughter belt out the love song, everyone else present at their wedding recoils.
âItâs funny Islands in the Stream is a song everyone knows and you think you know until you really start listening to the lyrics and itâs this sexual duet,â Ferrell laughs. âThat should not be sung between a father and his daughter. We just thought itâs such a funny thing to make that their favourite family song. When you see Reeseâs reaction, like what is going on ⊠itâs great.â
There are a lot of wedding movies, but Witherspoon says the characters she and Ferrell play put a new spin on the genre as the two very different wedding parties devolve into all-out war.Â
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âEven though weâre playing these heightened characters, in this movie Willâs playing the guy that everybody recognizes,â she says. âThat could be you. Your daughter could be getting married to a guy youâre not so sure about and I think you recognize that as a parent. That feeling of dread. Thereâs something so relatable about Will. Just his sense of trying to make it better and trying to be a great dad, but also being a little maniacal about his daughterâs wedding being perfect.â
Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell in a scene from âYouâre Cordially Invited.â Photo by Prime VideoWitherspoonâs recent credits have included some dramatic work, including her Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, Prime Videoâs Little Fires Everywhere and the Emmy-winning Big Little Lies.
But Ferrell says his co-star is a âpowerhouseâ when it comes to comedy.
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âShe commits to comedy in the same way I do in that we are both playing the stakes as if theyâre real,â he says. âShe can do everything.â
Ferrell continues to sing Witherspoonâs praises as he rattles off her work behind the camera as a producer and her commitment to women-centric storytelling. âWeâve all seen Reese do her thing. But to get to watch Reese play every day was so much fun,â he says.
Our time is almost up. So with their karaoke night picks sorted out thereâs one other thing you might want to know should you find yourself also tasked with programming the closing-night film in a Reese Witherspoon or Will Ferrell movie marathon.
âIâm a huge Election fan. I love Election,â Ferrell says, namechecking Witherspoonâs part as Tracy Flick in the 1999 high school comedy.
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Now itâs time for Witherspoon to pause a beat. For over 30 years Ferrell has made oddball characters his specialty. But then she smiles as she recalls his foul-mouthed racecar driver Ricky Bobby. âI would probably say Talladega Nights,â she says.
Youâre Cordially invited is now streaming on Prime Video.
mdaniell@postmedia.com
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