Review of Overnight Delivery (1998) by Bob G — 27 Oct 2007

Okay, so it is pretty much the exact same plot as 'Road Trip'. However this film is far less crude and more charming. Paul Rudd plays Wyatt, an undergrad in a committed (if celibate) relationship with Kim (Christine Taylor) when he discovers she might be cheating on him. He therefore befriends a stripper, Ivy (Reese Witherspoon, yes you did read that correctly), takes some compromising photographs of the two together and sends the proof to Kim. In the morning, he discovers he may have been mistaken and thus takes to the road to stop the package.

What makes this film different is the crazy stuntwork. Wyatt constantly ends up in the most insane positions. From hanging out the back of a delivery truck, to almost falling off a cliff, to swinging like Tarzan on a rope over a University dormitory. Rudd is game for it all, and he makes it intensely watchable. We can see some of the ridiculous humour that would eventually make him a key player in the frat pack movies beginning here.

The chemistry between the two leads is also charming. Witherspoon has a lot of fun with her typical free spirit character, adding some needed gravitas to the tried and true stereotype.

All in all, it is a charming road comedy with a few surprises and two immensely likable leads.