Yeah, okay, Cheers was the bar you always wanted to go to, that’s clear, but the Roxbury was the club you always wanted to sneak into. And don’t tell me you didn’t, little liar! But don’t be embarrassed, it’s only natural. The Roxbury Club is that place the Butabi brothers always wanted to go. And if they wanted to go, so do you.
The Roxbury was hot in 1998 thanks to this film titled A Night at the Roxbury and since then has become one of the most important clubs in the history of cinema. Don’t believe it? Well, okay, you can check it yourself. A Night at the Roxbury is a movie you have to see at least once in your life. It’s impossible to understand the comedy from the great Will Ferrell (one of the greats) without having seen it. Not only because he’s one of the leads and because he participated in the script, but because it has everything.
It’s based on the the Butabi brothers sketches who appeared with great success on Saturday Night Live. Its protagonists are Will Ferrell himself and Chris Kattan, who at the time of the film was a good friend of Ferrell. But let’s put ourselves in context.
Why was a movie made about these two guys? Because they were the best on television. Two brothers who used to go out clubbing with the rhythm of “What is Love?” song as a backdrop. On Saturday Night Live, whenever they went out, they would bring a guest along as a third brother. Among them were the greatest: Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks, Stallone (parodying himself), Jack Nicholson, and many others. The guests let their hair down, and the script provided them with everything they needed to do so. The sketch with Carrey as a guest has always been a hit online. The film basically took the sketch and expanded it with a consistent story and hundreds of surreal gangs. We saw the Butabi brothers getting into all kinds of trouble, with their visit to the Roxbury as a backdrop.
What’s it about?
The story features two brothers, hairy-chested dandies who spend their nights bobbing their heads to good music. They don’t get any good dates and are pretty pathetic, but they try. Their dream is to go out to the Roxbury, the most luxurious club in town, where only a select few are allowed. After a certain encounter with its owner, everything points to a much better life for the brothers. As is often the case with these comedy films, it’s difficult to summarize it effectively without giving too much away.
In this case, it’s joke after joke, bizarre gag after bizarre gag, all memorable. Throughout the film, we can see the good relationship the protagonists had at the time, and the supporting cast, including Molly Shannon, another of the Saturday Night Live stars, do their jobs superbly. Meanwhile, we can’t forget the soundtrack, which becomes another of the film’s highlights. The script advances practically to the beat of the music, with songs like “Make That Money,” “Disco Inferno,” “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” and “This is Your Night.”
The Cast
Will Ferrell is a chameleon-like comedy superstar. We’ve seen him triumph in “Anchorman”, “Elf”, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, “Bewitched” or “Blades of Glory”, among many others. Linked to the comedy group formed by Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaugh and company, Ferrell became a symbol of comedy in his time. Chris Kattan, the other Butabi brother, isn’t doing so well. Since leaving “Saturday Night Live” and separating from Ferrell, we’ve seen him in a few films, including “Corky Romano” and “Undercover Brother.” However, both do essential work and there could be no film without either of them.
Conclusion
Whatever happens to them, they’ve left their mark on the history of movie jokes. For proof, you only have to browse YouTube and watch drunken teenagers imitate them and record themselves for the whole world to see. Now I just have to ask you one thing very seriously: did you just grab my ass?
