Anne Heche Stephen Root Miguel Arteta

(On TV, February 2020) I wasn’t expecting much from this cable-TV schedule-filler, but Cedar Rapids is a bit of a pleasant surprise—nice cast, fine production values and funnier gags than expected. Much of the plot takes after a mild form of Midwestern gawking, as the story takes place at an insurance salesmen’s regional convention in the unremarkable depths of Iowa. Our hero, a naïve insurance agent, arrives on the scene with idealistic ideas about his peers and mentors, and much of the next few days is a belated comic coming-of-age story in which his good sweet intentions triumph over everyone else’s R-rated cynicism. Much of the episodic story is really about the protagonist assembling friends that will help him triumph over the final crisis. Cedar Rapids may not sound all that interesting on paper, but on the screen it’s surprisingly easy to watch thanks to a cast of familiar comedians that includes Ed Helms as the naïf protagonist, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche (looking unusually attractive), Stephen Root and others—plus a cameo from Sigourney Weaver. While not a gut-buster, Cedar Rapids is amiable enough, has some good characterization, and director Miguel Arteta keeps the amiable chaos going at a steady pace. For something grabbed randomly from a late-night Cable TV filler lineup, my expectations for Cedar Rapids were exceeded.