š§ Synopsis of the Plots Virgin, a Coma, and a Centerfold
The film begins with Eugene Bell (Zach Cregger), a very conservative high school senior. After going through an accident during the prom, he falls into a coma which advances into a 4 year long slumber. Once he wakes up, he comes to know that his childhood sweetheart, Cindi, has become a centerfold for playboy. In confusion and disbelief, he along with his comically weird and sex-obsessed friend, Tucker (Trevor Moore) decide to go cross country in an attempt to get to the Playboy mansion and at the same time, get her back.
Like everything else in the film, the road trip is filled with outrageous attempts at juvenile and crude bodily humor, encounters with bizarre people, also known as āHorsedick MPEGā, and near death experiences. Not forgetting to mention the spine tingling performances by Craig Robinson.
š Performances and Comedic Resonance
Cregger in my eyes did an exceptional job with Eugene, capturing the childlike shock that is somehow present within the character. Weilding this serve as distraction from all the madness happening around him. Even when his character arc lacks any form of development, i.e emotional or physical, his monotoned comebacks are reliable and serve their purpose.
The co-director and co-writer, Trevor Moore, introduced chaos into the character Tucker, capturing the frantic energy with lewd humor and slapstick antics that paid homage to the Uā Know sketch group from which he and Cregger came. His portrayal is asymmetrical in quality; at times itās too much and at times brings laughs, which for some may become grating.
Raquel Alessi, prone to Tindr type castings as Cindi proved to be utterly useless save for acting like a fairy tale princess, while Craig Robinson shows up and steals the entire film emerging as the true comic relief and wearing it like a badge in his wonderfully bizarre yet memorable style.
šļø Direction & Style
Miss March, the debut feature for Moore and Cregger, showcases brutal low-budget veracity which, coming from sketch comedians-turned filmmakers, one might expect, tells a straightforward story. Moore and Cregger gave their first film the typical direction a lower-budget film has: bland and dependent on shock value, physical comedy, and cheap stunts to compensate for weak storylines.
The outrageous pranks seem to be the product of juvenile minds, intentional in their crude mockingāwith sexual seizures, explosive bodily functions, and nonsensical stunts that border crude absurdity. Everything else is great; the editing is quick, the pace is relentless, and the tone stays constant so long as you embrace the childlike attitude of the filmāit keeps going.š” Themes and Humor Style š Sexual Repression vs. Sexual Chaos The essence of Miss March revolves around the struggle between abstinence and indulgence. There is a character arc in Eugene going from an ignorant lad to (partly) sexually liberated, but the film does not deeply explore any of these ideasāit is mostly for comic juxtaposition.
š§Ø Friendship and Immaturity
Love doesnāt pinpoint a film most of the time. Here, it is centered around immature bromantic love between two friends. Tucker does not help at all and sabotages the journey, but the heart of the film is their sickeningly loyal friendship.
š£ Shock Comedy & Gross-Out Humor
If American Pie walked so that Superbad could run, Miss March got completely off track. The film is not about sentiment, but more shock, tactlessly embracing an easily-dimwitted genre of comedy that lacks depth or development.
š Reception and Legacy
Upon release, Miss March was both a commercial and critical failure. It has been panned for its empty character arcs, crass humor, and bland storytelling, earning scathing reviews along the way. The film has an abysmal score on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, frequently listed as one of the more forgettable films in the 2000ās sex comedy resurgence.
Its execution has led to some bizarre admiration as it has accumulated a small cult following, most notably The Whitest Kids Uā Know fans who revel in the maddening and anarchistic spirit of the film. Especially in meme culture and its numerous online references, Craig Robinsonās āHorsedick.MPEGā has cultivated a second life of his own.
šÆ Final Verdict: Should You Watch Miss March?
Go ahead only if your preferences align with idiotic, tasteless, and grotesque humor devoid of any hints of class. While Miss March is utterly irreverent, wildly chaotic, and highly offensive, there is a level of chaotic energy that it emanates which could deliver laughs if that is what you seek.
Watch it if:
ā You appreciate outrageous and dumb buddy comedies.
ā You come from a sketch comedy background and appreciate absurdist humor.
ā You desire a short, ridiculous comedy that requires little thought and is very crude.
Skip it if:
ā You are looking for growth in characters, emotional resolution, or intelligent critiques.
ā You avoid sex comedies with excessive shock value and crudeness.
ā You prefer having a well defined story and believable acting.
š Bottom Line
Miss March (2009) is a mad, childish, sometimes even funny comedy that lacks self-control. It takes no effort to hide its stupidity. It does not reach the standard of an admirable sex comedy, and feels more like a chaotic guilty pleasure and every outlandish and shamelessly stupid joke will have you either rolling your eyes or shocked.