Eat Wheaties! Movie Review
Nathan Swank
June 1st, 2021
Based on the novel ‘The Locklear Letters’ by Michael Kun, EAT WHEATIES! follows awkward single, but kind and moderately successful man, Sid Straw, played by Tony Hale. Sid is excited to help organize his college reunion. However, the invitations are all being done through Facebook, which Sid has never logged into, or any social media for that matter. Sid discovers one of his college friends is now famous director and actress, Elizabeth Banks. Through a series of unfortunate misunderstandings, Sid’s life begins to unravel as he tries to prove that he was once friends with this well-known celebrity.
For me, the premise immediately makes me uneasy. I am not a fan of poor communication or stories that revolve around misunderstandings. And I especially don’t like comedies that laugh at good people in bad situations. Thankfully, EAT WHEATIES! overcomes all of this with a sweet nature, a kind heart, and bad people getting their come-upins. The key to all of this is Tony Hale as our protagonist. Tony Hale is in, what I believe are, two of the greatest comedy series of all time in “Arrested Development” and “Veep.” Hale is perfect as the socially awkward Sid. He is a nice, good-hearted, and even funny, but somewhere along the line, he just began trying too hard to find a relationship in friendship and in love. Hale is super sympathetic and plays Sid with a comedic touch that keeps the audience chuckling through a constant endearing sweetness.
I must warn you, the awkwardness can be almost too unbearable. It never gets to the level of lets say the British version of The Office, but it’s still there. Seeing tragedy befall such a likable character can be tough. But I implore you to hold on tight and know it will work out for Sid and the few meanies will get what’s coming to them. EAT WHEATIES! is a comedy at heart. It barely dips its toes into the dark territory. Sid with the help of his inexperienced lawyer, played wonderfully by Paul Walter Hauser, are destined to come out on top in the feel-good genre. I don’t consider this a spoiler. If anything, it’s important to know this to get you through the moments that might play a touch too rough.
It’s also important to note that the misunderstanding never involves Elizabeth Banks personally, but rather her unkind publicists, played by Sarah Chalke. Nonetheless, even if Banks comes off fairly positive from Sid’s memory, she still is a good sport sticking her good name out there when her publicist is sort of the villain.
Ultimately, EAT WHEATIES! has enough charm and good will to overcome some of the uncomfortable moments and earns a happy ending. Some scenes fall a little flat, especially in the third act, but Tony Hale and the rest of the cast along with an uplifting little score from Kevin Krouglow really pull the film along for a delightfully fun comedy that champions kindness. Be sure to stick around for a cute little message during the credits.
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