Romantic comedy's head in the toilet

When big celebrities convene in one film, expectations are high. With all the unbridled star power busting through it's hard not to expect something grandiose and amazing. Take Along Came Polly for example -- you've got Ben Stiller, a comedic giant; Jennifer Aniston, favorite of the "Friends;" Philip Seymour Hoffman, a Paul Thomas Anderson favorite; not to mention Hank Azaria, Debra Messing and Alec Baldwin. This should be the formula for success. However, Along Came Polly falls short of fantastic and settles for cute.\nThe movie centers around Reuben Feffer (Stiller), a risk analyst for a major insurance company. Reuben doesn't take risks, from eating communal mixed nuts at a bar to walking over subway vents. After marrying longtime girlfriend, Lisa (Messing), the two honeymoon in St. Barth's where they meet a French, nudist scuba instructor named Claude (Azaria). To Reuben's shock, he finds Lisa and Claude in bed together, flippers flailing and returns to the U.S.\nAfter returning, Reuben's best friend, Sandy (Hoffman), encourages him to get out and meet new people. Soon, he meets Polly (Aniston), his polar opposite. Polly is a waitress who owns a blind ferret, eats food after its been dropped on the street, loves to salsa, lives for ethnic cuisine and, yes, even eats nuts from the communal bowl. An unlikely pair, Reuben and Polly start dating in what will be the biggest risk of Reuben's life.\nThis movie is all about the supporting characters. While Stiller and Aniston are funny, the cameo characters like Hoffman and Azaria make the movie special. Something should be said for Philip Seymour Hoffman -- he's freakin' hilarious. His character, Sandy, is an egotistical actor who earned his 15 minutes of fame in the teen angst film Crocodile Tears (mirroring The Breakfast Club). Everything Hoffman says, does and thinks is hilarious. (Without his presence I would have rated the movie lower.)\nThe plot follows the tried-and-true romantic comedy format. He gets his heart broken. She shows him how different life can be. He ultimately must choose between two women. It's nothing out of the ordinary. Surprisingly, bathroom humor makes multiple appearances in the movie -- seeming like a desperate attempt at laughs (Ha ha, he farted!). The simple, sometimes disgusting, script is redeemed by the wonderful natural comedy created by all of the actors, making Along Came Polly a cute and funny film.