Review by Jacquelin Hipes
At one point in Welcome to the Men’s Group, Michael (Joseph Culp, playing the support group’s founder) asks a hesitant new member: “When do we reach for something more noble, higher?” He believes that these monthly meetings are healthier and more productive than the stereotypical male bonding rituals of poker night or sporting events, a belief pointedly offset by the fisticuffs playing out in the backyard behind him. That rhetorical question and the antics that immediately follow it—including one man skinny dipping in a koi pond, then dumping potting soil all over himself—together sum up this dismal effort at comedic social commentary.
On first glance, the clean-cut men who gather together look beyond the reach of true struggle. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that their large houses and nice cars conceal darker issues. Host Larry (Timothy Bottoms) awakens to a bright, immaculate mansion recently refurnished—perfect, right? Yet before his companions even arrive with groaning platters of food for brunch, he realizes his wife is missing, possibly without having taken her medication.
He’s far from alone in his worries. Carl’s (Stephen Tobolowsky) confession of financial and marital troubles takes a turn for the macabre when he blurts out a fantasy of self-immolation. Tom (Mackenzie Astin), a newcomer and guest of Michael’s, is struggling with his sense of masculinity and self-sufficiency after taking on the role of stay-at-home dad. These tribulations are mostly related as monologues, broken up by the occasional discussion or outburst, artificially inflating an already bloated two hour runtime. Rather than coming across as sympathetic or farcical, each of the men feels like a roughly-sketched stereotype incapable of engaging empathy or amused judgment.
This shortcoming originates more with the script co-penned by Scott-Ben Yashar and Culp, who also directed, rather than any particular performer. Each actor does well enough considering the on-page constraints. Welcome to the Men’s Group sets itself up to tackle lofty, timely questions about male privilege and toxic masculinity, an intriguing possibility as Hollywood grapples with a series of high-profile scandals. Unfortunately, it juxtaposes any developing commentary against juvenile humor and a set of unrelatable characters that alienates viewers. Easy as it is to see a place for these ideas on our screens, the final execution leaves much to be desired.
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