Although we are situated near the insurance capital of the world, few of us have gained insight into the troubled lives of insurance agents, which is the subject of Miguel Arteta’s ’89 latest coming-of-age movie, “Cedar Rapids.” The film is Arteta’s examination of these industry professionals, whose potential for off-the-wall behavior has most of us questioning what’s really going on behind those particle board desks that claim to stow away conservatism, mild-mannerness, and dare I say it, “squareness.”
Ed Helms stars as the polite, conservative, and only mildly sexual Tim Lippe, an agent highly committed to the industry. Throughout the film, we delight in joining Tim as he takes a journey toward self-discovery and recklessness. Following a co-worker’s sudden death (riddled with rumors of sordid implications), Tim is sent out to a conference in the “big city” of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Very much the stereotypical introvert, Tim learns to let down his guard and depend on those he once deemed untrustworthy. His journey becomes a crash course in breaking out of one’s shell, which happens in every arena: the conference room, the bedroom, and in one very memorable scene, a hotel swimming pool. Though forewarned by his bosses about one of his strongest competitors, Dean Ziegler, (played flawlessly by John C. Reilly), Tim learns to trust his instincts, rather than the one-sided advice of superiors. Other competitors are less threatening, such as Joan (Anne Heche), and Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock, Jr.), and they, too, help Tim along his journey of awakening. The jokes are too numerous to count, and the smattering of bawdiness will shock even the most experienced filmgoer, but the humor ultimately achieves its purpose in showing the absurdity of competitiveness among co-workers who, as always, achieve more when they work together rather than separately.
Though the acting and screenplay are spectacular, none of it would have come together without Arteta. Having seen “Youth in Revolt” last year at the Film Series, I was, and still am, surprised to see such a modest voice behind these hilarious films. Following a preview of the film at last Saturday’s Film Series, Arteta delighted audiences with amusing anecdotes about the film (apparently, it’s the first one in which Sigourney Weaver’s character had an orgasm on screen). He also shared some interesting bits of advice, even likening writing to vomiting (it’s awful, but you feel so much better when it’s over), and asserting that storytelling is “like flirting with your audience.” As someone who has become an ardent fan of Arteta and his films: keep batting your eyes, and I will bat mine back.
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