Weddings are meant to be joyous occasions, but in “You’re Cordially Invited,” they become a setting for comedic mishaps. The Triangle was recently invited to the advanced screening of the new wedding rom-com. Directed and written by Nicholas Stoller, this live-action comedy premiered on Prime Video on Jan. 30, 2025, featuring Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in their first film together.
The story follows Jim (Ferrell), a widower attending his daughter’s (Geraldine Viswanathan) wedding, and Margot (Witherspoon), a Los Angeles-based reality TV executive managing her sister’s (Meredith Hagner) wedding. When both parties realize they have unknowingly booked the same destination venue – a remote resort on an island off the Georgia coast with emotional stakes for both parties, they initially agree to share it. However, their uneasy truce quickly unravels as personal agendas, egos and over-the-top wedding plans collide.
Margot, a high-powered perfectionist, and Jim, a well-meaning but stubborn father determined to make his daughter’s day special, agree to share the venue, but as the story develops, the dysfunction of both families is revealed, and chaos ensues. The supporting cast includes Leanne Morgan as Gwyneth, another sister in the mix, and Jimmy Tatro as Dixon, the groom to Witherspoon’s sister, adding to the dynamics.
Ferrell and Witherspoon previously worked together in a 2001 episode of “Saturday Night Live,” but “You’re Cordially Invited” marks their first joint film project. Both also serve as the film’s producers.
Stoller, known for his experience in comedy films and this being his second wedding comedy (“The Five-Year Engagement”), truly delivers on every imaginable wedding catastrophe in this film. He describes the movie as an emotional rollercoaster and an exploration of wedding culture with its varying emotional impacts: “We’re at weddings where it divides people into two—people are either really happy for the couple or reflecting on their own lives, saying, ‘My life isn’t where I want it to be.’ So it kind of explores all of that,” Stoller said.
Beyond the premise of dueling weddings, “You’re Cordially Invited” explores themes of family, relationships and personal growth. The film combines comedic elements with a look at how different personalities navigate major life events.
That being said, wedding comedies have been overdone a little at this point (“Bride Wars,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “The Wedding Planner”—the list goes on), so it is rather tough to surprise audiences with something truly fresh. While “You’re Cordially Invited” isn’t reinventing the wheel, it does have its moments — thanks largely to Ferrell and Witherspoon’s humor and unexpectedly delightful pairing. Their antics are charming enough to make you forget that the movie sometimes leans into predictable tropes and stretched scenes.
As it premieres on Prime Video, the film offers a humorous take on wedding mishaps and family dynamics with a cast known for their comedic performances. If you are looking for a light-hearted, easy watch with just enough laughs to get you through the evening while you hang out with your friend or do your homework, “You’re Cordially Invited” is a good wedding romp to hit play on.