In Anthony and Joe Russo's comedy You, Me and Dupree, Dupree (Owen Wilson) is a slacker who moves in with a soon-to-be-married couple (Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson) and wreaks havoc on their lives and their relationship with his misbehavior and irresponsibility.
And in spite of Wilson's typically winning personality, the movie is proving to be as unpleasant and disruptive as Dupree's company.
Christa Banister (Crosswalk) says the movie "would've benefited from a better screenplay and more standout performances from someone other than Wilson. Even though it also stars Dillon … and Hudson … the movie was clearly designed for Wilson and his adorable-but-mostly-dim-witted charms. And sadly that's not enough to merit more than a rental."
Tom Neven (Plugged In) says it "has some great lessons on love, friendship, trust and the need for husbands and wives to communicate. In fact, the story premise is rife with opportunities for genuine, clean laughs. However, any hint of potential innocence gets immediately and routinely buried under an avalanche of juvenile and crude sexual 'humor,' even crasser bathroom humor and a pile of foul language."
But Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) says this "uneven comedy starts out irritating and contrived … but becomes more engaging as it goes along. Once Dupree is rehabilitated … the story—and especially his character—becomes easier to take. By the end, Dupree has become downright lovable."
"Not since Risky Business has there been a romantic comedy so misogynistic and so male-centered," writes Greg Wright (Looking Closer). He notes that the movie is "yet made with such back-slapping, nudge-nudge precision that men are unlikely to notice how literally faceless the women in this film are."
Mainstream critics are depressed by Dupree.