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Vacation Friends

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Vacation Friends is a 2021 American buddy comedy film directed by Clay Tarver, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tom Mullen, Tim Mullen, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.[1] Released on Hulu in the US and Disney+ through Star Hub in International market on August 27, 2021, it stars Lil Rel Howery, John Cena, Yvonne Orji, Meredith Hagner, Robert Wisdom, Lynn Whitfield, and Andrew Bachelor.[2]

Plot[]

Marcus and Emily are on vacation in Mexico, where he intends to propose. His plan is ruined when first their room is flooded, and then a hotel employee ruins the surprise. With no other choice, Marcus proposes to her on the spot in the lobby, and she accepts. Wild and carefree Ron and Kyla watch their special moment, inviting them to stay with them for their trip.

The four spend their vacation together, which includes Marcus and Emily eloping. Both blackout due to excessive drinking but Marcus briefly regains consciousness during what appears to be Kyla having sex with him. The next day, Emily remembers nothing from the night before and Marcus decides to keep what he recalls a secret. At the end of their vacation, Marcus and Emily decide to cut ties with Ron and Kyla.

Months later, Marcus and Emily have their official wedding, hosted by Emily's parents, Harold and Suzanne. They, especially Harold, don't approve of Marcus, partly because of an incident where Marcus punched Emily's brother Gabe. Harold entrusts Marcus with the rings for the wedding, which belonged to Emily's great grandparents.

Before the ceremony, Ron and Kyla show up. They discovered the location of the wedding online, deciding to come. Harold is initially furious at the intrusion but eventually warms to them. Kyla reveals she is pregnant and Marcus is 'directly involved' in the pregnancy, making him believe that he is the baby's father. The next day, Ron speaks to Harold, convincing him to give Marcus a second chance. A grateful Marcus selects Ron to be the best man, and Ron convinces Marcus to entrust him with the rings.

The next day, the men go golfing, with Gabe and his friend. To Marcus's chagrin, Ron suggests they bet on the game. Halfway through the round, Ron reveals that he bankrolled the wagers by pawning the wedding rings. On the final hole, Ron makes a massive bet that he can hit the 18th green in a single stroke. Despite Ron initially looking at the wrong green, forcing him to make a 375-yard shot to win the bet, he miraculously sinks a hole in one to win the bet. (Actually, he had bribed a golf course employee to plant the ball in the hole.)

After returning to the pawnshop to retrieve the rings, Ron accidentally causes Marcus to drop the rings in a sewer grate. Marcus chokes Ron in anger, who reveals that he was told by a doctor that he was sterile and that Kyla got pregnant 'because of Marcus'.

At the rehearsal dinner, Kyla prepares to make a speech, where it seems like she is going to announce that Marcus is the father of her child. He interrupts, sharing the full story of what he believes happened in Mexico, only for Kyla to reveal they only intend to name the baby after Marcus, and he is not the father. Marcus tells an angry Harold the rings were lost and a fight ensues. Outside the wedding hall, Marcus and Emily angrily demand that Ron and Kyla leave.

Emily’s grandma, Phyllis delivers a wedding gift from Kyla. The letter inside reveals that Ron had lost his previous best friend Charlie (on military duty) and that his relationship with her and Marcus has helped him to recover. The gift is the wedding rings, which Ron retrieved from the sewer. Emily and Marcus realize they made a mistake by sending Kyla and Ron away, so they eventually find them. The four reunite, while Ron and Kyla reveal they are finally planning to marry, holding the same ceremony in Mexico where Marcus and Emily tied the knot, along with their family and friends joining.

Cast[]

  • John Cena as Ron, Kyla's partner
  • Lil Rel Howery as Marcus Parker, Emily's partner
  • Yvonne Orji as Emily Conway-Parker, Marcus’ wife, Harold and Suzanne's daughter
  • Meredith Hagner as Kyla, Ron's partner
  • Andrew Bachelor[3] as Gabe
  • Lynn Whitfield as Suzanne Conway, Emily's mother, and Harold's wife
  • Robert Wisdom as Harold Conway, Emily's father, and Suzanne's husband
  • Tawny Newsome as Brooke
  • Kamal Bolden as Bennet
  • Barry Rothbart as Darren
  • Anna Maria Horsford[4] as Nancy

Production[]

In March 2014, it was announced Chris Pratt and Anna Faris were set to star in the film, with Steve Pink set to direct from a screenplay by Tom and Tim Mullen, and 20th Century Fox distributing.[5] In November 2015, it was reported Ice Cube had signed on to replace Pratt, with Faris no longer attached.[6] In December 2019, it was announced John Cena, Lil Rel Howery, and Meredith Hagner would star in the film instead, with Clay Tarver replacing Pink, 20th Century Studios attached to produce, and Hulu set to distribute.[7] In January 2020, Yvonne Orji joined the cast of the film.[8] In March 2020, Tawny Newsome and Barry Rothbart were added as well,[9] and in September 2020, Lynn Whitfield, Robert Wisdom and Kamal Bolden also signed on to co-star.[10]

Principal photography began in Georgia in March 2020.[11] However, production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] Production resumed in September 2020,[13] and concluded in October 2020.[14]

Release[]

The film was released on Hulu on August 27, 2021 in the United States,[2] and on the Star content hub of Disney+ in international markets such as Canada and the United Kingdom. It was released as a launch title on Star+ on August 31 in Latin America.[15] Disney+ Hotstar released the film in India on August 27,[16] and in select territories on September 3, 2021.

Reception[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 60% based on 63 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10. The critical consensus reads, "The laughs aren't always in steady supply, but the terrific cast makes Vacation Friends a comedy you can stream without serious reservations." According to Metacritic, which sampled eight critics and calculated a weighted average score of 44 out of 100, the film received "mixed or average reviews."

Sequel[]

In September 2021, 20th Century Studios announced that a sequel titled Vacation Friends 2 is in development, with the main cast and director Clay Tarver set to return.[17]

Gallery[]

Videos[]

References[]

  1. ↑ "Vacation Friends" (March 5, 2021).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kenigsberg, Ben (2021-05-28). "Summer Movies 2021: Here's What's Coming to the Big (and Small) Screen" (in en-US), The New York Times. 
  3. ↑ Lovitt, Maggie (July 21, 2021). "First 'Vacation Friends' Red Band Trailer Shows How Wild John Cena Can Get".
  4. ↑ "Movie - The Forty-Year-Old Version" (english). local.aarp.org.
  5. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 25, 2014). "Fox Acquires 'Vacation Friends,' Pairing Chris Pratt And Anna Faris". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ Busch, Anita (November 3, 2015). "Ice Cube Attached To Star In 'Vacation Friends' At Fox In Casting Revamp". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (December 3, 2019). "John Cena, Meredith Hagner, Lil Rel Howery To Star In 'Vacation Friends' Comedy From 20th Century Fox & Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  8. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (January 15, 2020). "'Insecure's Yvonne Orji Joins John Cena & Lil Rel Howery In 'Vacation Friends' Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  9. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (March 13, 2020). "Sean Patrick Flanery & More Star In 'Assault On VA-33'; Cleopatra Acquires 'Skin Walker'; Tawny Newsome, Barry Rothbart Join 'Vacation Friends'- Film Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  10. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (September 25, 2020). "'Vacation Friends': 'Greenleaf' Star Lynn Whitfield & More Cast In Hulu Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  11. ↑ Ho, Rodney (June 1, 2020). "What is filming in Georgia in March? 39 projects including two Bruce Willis movies and comedy with John Cena". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  12. ↑ Dennis, Ryan (March 16, 2020). "What's NOT filming in Georgia because of coronavirus". WXIA-TV. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  13. ↑ Road Productions, Broken (September 11, 2020). "Six months to the day and we're finally back together! Let's finish this sucker! @johncena @comedianlilrel @cbtarver". Instagram. Retrieved on September 26, 2020.
  14. ↑ Road Productions, Broken (October 28, 2020). "And that's a wrap on Vacation Friends. I am so blessed to get to make movies and am feeling especially grateful to have been allowed to finish this very funny movie during these challenging times. I truly love this cast and crew and when I think back on this movie, it will be to this moment when we knew we were going to shut down, but soldiered on in spite of it! Thank you so much @cbtarver @comedianlilrel @johncena @yvonneorji @merediththeweasel and all our cast and crew! You are all rock stars!". Instagram. Retrieved on October 29, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Vacation Friends: John Cena & Lil Rel Howery Comedy to Debut in August" (en-US). ComingSoon.net (2021-06-15).
  16. ↑ Naik, Kshiteej (2021-07-30). "Cruella, Spin, Vacation Friends, More Coming to Disney Plus Hotstar in August 2021". IGN India.
  17. ↑ "‘Vacation Friends’ Sequel In Works After Hulu Movie Lands Biggest 3-Day Weekend Opening For An Original In Streamer’s History" (September 1, 2021).

External Links[]

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Hulu 2019
Movies
Nomadland (2021) • Summer of Soul (2021) • Vacation Friends (2021) • Fresh (2022) • Deep Water (2022) • Fire Island (2022) • The Princess (2022) • Prey (2022) • Rosaline (2022) • Hellraiser (2022) • Darby and the Dead (2022) • Boston Strangler (2023) • Quasi (2023) • White Men Can't Jump (2023) • Flamin' Hot (2023) • Vacation Friends 2 (2023) • Self Reliance (2024) • The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (2024) • Hold Your Breath (2024) • Nutcrackers (2024)
Series
Runaways (2017-2019) • The Bravest Knight (2019-present) • High Fidelity (2020) • Love, Victor (2020-2022) • Helstrom (2020) • M.O.D.O.K. (2021) • Reservation Dogs (2021-2023) • Only Murders in the Building (2021-present) • Hit-Monkey (2021-present) • Pam & Tommy (2022) • The Bear (2022-present) • Koala Man (2023) • History of the World, Part II (2023) • Goosebumps (2023-present) • Echo (2024) • Shōgun (2024-present) • Interior Chinatown (2024)


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 This page uses content from the English Wikipedia page Vacation Friends. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. Text from Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
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