Peeples

Meeting the parents of a significant other can be one of the most frightening and awkward moments. It can be especially awkward if said parents don’t even know who you are beforehand. Wade Walker (Craig Robinson) happens to be in that exact situation when he shows up to his girlfriend’s parents’ house unannounced only to find out that she hasn’t told them about him in fear of how her father would react. Turns out it’s exactly as you would expect.

When Wade’s longtime girlfriend Grace Peeples (Kerry Washington) returns home for an annual event celebrating Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick he decides that it would be the perfect time to surprise her and her family at their upscale lake house. While Mrs. Peeples is quite welcoming, Mr. Peeples (David Alan Grier) or Judge Peeples as he’s known to everyone around town isn’t as warm. Wade does his best to get along with the family but one mishap after another only puts him further in the doghouse with the Judge.

Peeples takes a concept we’re all familiar with and crafts and simple yet effective comedy around it with Craig Robinson front and center. He’s not as raunchy as he is in some of his R-rated comedies although he’s not afraid of making a fool out of himself, whether that means singing an embarrassing song about urine or dancing around in a woman’s headdress. Unfortunately, Robinson never reaches his full potential in the film.

There are some genuinely funny moments that’ll have you laughing but there are also moments that go absolutely nowhere in their attempts at making audiences laugh.  There’s a clear message about how you should always be yourself and tell the truth, and the film nearly beats you over the head with it in every joke. Not everything has to connect with this central theme.

In addition to Robinson, David Alan Grier puts on a decent performance. The man is a comedy veteran and it definitely shows in the film. He’s always spot on and absolutely dominates any scene he’s in. I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t be fearful if Grier was your soon-to-be father-in-law?

Peeples has its fair share of moments, both good and bad, but ends up being a feel-good comedy of the season. If you’re a fan of Craig Robinson or David Alan Grier it’s worth watching, but you’re not missing out on anything must-see if you decide to pass over it.