A movie based on the far better, far funnier 1998 French film, "Le Dîner de Cons," 2008's "Dinner for Schmucks" follows Tim (Paul Rudd), a fast-rising business executive invited to attend a bizarre dinner party thrown by his boss (Bruce Greenwood). All party attendees are expected to bring, as a practical joke, an eccentric individual with them as a plus one. Looking for the strangest person he can find, Tim eventually stumbles across Barry (Steve Carell), a lovable, unintelligent oddball who has no sense of boundaries or personal space whatsoever.
Despite an impressive lineup of talented actors and comedians like Carell, Rudd, Jemaine Clement, Jeff Dunham, Ron Livingston, Zach Galifianakis, and Octavia Spencer, "Dinner for Schmucks" failed to live to its promising concept. Grossing just $86.8 million against a $69 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), the film earned mostly mixed to negative reviews.
However, some critics were complimentary towards Carell's performance in the film, feeling it was one of the few strong aspects that made the movie worth seeing. "The genius of this version depends on the performance by Steve Carell, who plays Barry Speck as a man impervious to insult and utterly at peace with himself. He's truly a transcendent idiot," said respected film critic Roger Ebert.
