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A family film for the Instant Messenger age, RV takes a humorous look at a mostly functional suburban family's attempt to get away from it all on a rare vacation. The always hilarious Robin Williams plays Bob Munro, a beaten-down middle manager who feels alienated from the family he works so hard to keep comfortable. Upon his insistence, the Munro family rents an RV and embarks on a search for quality time in the land of Manifest Destiny. With his frustrated wife Jamie (the always stellar Cheryl Hines of TV's CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM), rapper-wannabe son Carl (Josh Hutcherson), and angsty daughter Cassie (Joanna Levesque, best known as a tween pop singer), la famiglia Munro is Westward Ho. However, white-collar Bob's lack of adeptness at handling the monstrous vehicle causes plenty of amusing chaos. Thank God for the kindness of strangers--in this case, a couple of endearing oddballs played by Jeff Daniels (who proved his comedic chops in the DUMB AND DUMBER films) and Kristin Chenoweth. As Travis and Mary Jo, two obsessive RV-ers with a penchant for barbecues, beer, and yodeling, they serve as the Middle-American heart and soul of the film, much smarter and savvier than cultural stereotypes write them off as being.
Seasoned comedy director Barry Sonnenfield (MEN IN BLACK, WILD, WILD WEST) proves that he has mastered the intelligent comedy, and Williams, particularly in moments that are improvised, proves his brilliance once again. But it is the uniformly excellent supporting cast, in particular a knee-slapping turn by Will Arnett (Gob on TV's ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), that makes RV so memorable.
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