[rating=7.00]
The D Train is a lowbrow, screwball comedy that successfully masquerades itself as highbrow festival fodder. It’s a fine line to walk, to be sure—the slightest misstep would prove disastrous, destroying the very concept upon which the film rests. But writer-directors Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel take that walk, and they take it well.
Jack Black stars as Dan Landsman, the consummate loser who never got over the fact that he wasn’t popular in high school. That dynamic is still in play in his adult life, which is quickly and painfully obvious from the very outset of the film. Dan is on the board tasked with organizing his class’s 20th reunion, and none of his fellow board members much care for him. They roll their eyes at his jokes, ditch him when they go out drinking, and none of his former classmates seem to remember who he is when calls them up to invite them to the reunion.
Despite his loving wife—who, honestly, is probably somewhat out of his league, given the nature of his character—and comfortable position at work, his lack of peer respect haunts him. He’s the joke of his class, a role he fears he’ll be relegated to for the rest of his life. Determined to become the hero of his reunion, he sets out to convince the most popular kid in his class, Oliver Lawless (James Marsden)—who’s now living in Hollywood and “making it” as a “big time actor” (evidenced by his nationally aired commercial for sunscreen)—to attend the soiree. His reasoning is simple: If Oliver can be convinced to come, the rest will follow, and Dan himself will be hailed as the man who single-handedly made the party. He concocts a harebrained scheme to convince Oliver to join the fun, and shenanigans—potentially life ruining shenanigans—ensue.
Reading that description back to myself, I’m forced to admit that the premise sounds fairly weak on paper. But Paul and Mogel are able to elevate the story into a movie that’s both hilarious and thoughtful. Not everything about The D Train works as well as it wants to work, but the lows never outweigh the highs and the experience is, overall, an enjoyable one.
Black and Marsden are hilarious in their respective roles, balancing each other perfectly to the point where their characters are mirrors of each other. For all of Dan’s longing to be cool like Oliver, Oliver himself longs for a life more ordinary. It’s a statement, I suppose, on celebrity worship (even though the “celebrity” in this case is merely a good looking commercial actor) and the dangers of placing people on pedestals. Enamored as he is with the appearance of Oliver’s success, Dan makes bad decision after bad decision which derails all the forward momentum he had going for himself, all in the name of seeking popularity and acceptance.
As much as it would be easy to blame Oliver for the destruction of everything Dan holds dear, the real enemy here is Dan’s envy and desire to become someone he so clearly is not. This line of thought quickly becomes an obsession and leads Dan down the spiral of lies, alcohol, drugs, and sex. All of this is played with humor and nuance by Black and Marsden, which further elevates the simple story to the level of parable.
At its heart, The D Train is a study of not knowing what you’ve got until you’ve lost it. For all his pining over the ordinariness of his life, once it gets off track Dan can’t help but want it back. Black is perfect for this role, as both his comedic and dramatic chops get a chance to shine, showcasing the absolute best of all his abilities. The film is further bolstered by some amazing supporting performances from Jeffrey Tambor, who plays Dan’s clueless boss, and low-key funny woman Kathryn Hahn as Dan’s adoring spouse.
While there were some problems with the third act and denouement—things get wrapped up a bit too conveniently and quickly for my tastes—The D Train is still an outrageously funny comedy that manages to actually make a few points along the way. Popularity is no substitute for happiness, after all, and there comes a point in all our lives when we need to accept that or perish.
The D Train is in theaters now.
