I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

Tracy Bennett/Universal Studios

Review in a Hurry:  Fly the rainbow flag, pin on your purple ribbon and throw on Liza with a Z—Kevin James and Adam Sandler are getting married! A surprisingly pedigreed team produces a high-concept flick that actually beats low expectations.

The Bigger Picture:  There's a big surprise at the end of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry—in the credits, actually: One of the writers of this sophomoric comedy is Alexander Payne, as in Oscar-winning filmmaker and director of Sideways, Alexander Payne. What the heck is he doing writing an Adam Sandler comedy? Not that there's anything wrong with that! Maybe Payne and his fellow scribes are responsible for all that's right here.

For what could have been a stupid gross-out comedy (and let's face it, in the end it still ain't Masterpiece Theatre) has the ever-so-slightest hint of wit and goodwill.

Two firefighters, rascally Chuck (Adam Sandler) and single dad Larry (Kevin James), form a phony domestic partnership to preserve Larry's pension privileges. When the city starts investigating, Chuck and Larry figure out how to work the system while boldly standing up for their newfound brethren, the gay community of New York City. It's all very predictable and ridiculous, but the lovable characters and funny setups make up for the crudest moments.

Chuck and Larry's relationship is the essential heart of the movie, and James and Sandler seem to be enjoying every minute of it (well, not every minute). We genuinely like these guys, because they genuinely like each other. And kudos to the always charming Jessica Biel: As the guys' lawyer and Sandler's crush, she's such a good actress, we actually believe she could be attracted to the Waterboy himself.