DVD review: Life of the Party
It's time for Deanna to pick herself up and start again.
DVD: Life of the Party
Reviewed by: Samantha Keogh
Review made possible by: Empire Entertainment
This is one of those movies that gets more enjoyable the more you watch it.
I am a fan of all things Melissa McCarthy and her latest offering did not disappoint.
When Deanna’s husband of 22 years announces he wants a divorce she takes a moment to wallow in self-pity, plays a drunken game of racket ball and moves on with her life.
Life of the Party is the quintessential “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with it” movie – with a number of hilarious twists.
Having dropped out of university shortly after her marriage to Dan, and just shy of graduating, Deanna decides to go back to school and finish her degree.
As luck would have she and daughter Maddie, who is in her final year at the same university Deanna attended in her youth, end up being seniors together.
What follows is a series of unlikely, but very funny, experiences as Dee-Dee (as her varsity friends call her) makes her way through her final year.
Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the outspoken new student soon begins a journey of self-discovery while fully embracing all of the fun, freedom and frat boys that she can handle.
Joined by her new friends – Maddie and her friends – Dee-Dee becomes an honorary member of a sorority, sleeps with a man half her age and throws caution to the wind to live the varsity life she didn’t have the first time around.
While not necessarily one for younger viewers, this is a must-see for adults and is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing Saturday afternoon and a glass of wine.
Take note for wonderful performances by Gillian Jacobs, who plays her slightly crazy friend Helen, and Heidi Gardner in the role of Leonor, Deanna’s mildly scary roommate.
