The following contains spoilers for You’re Cordially Invited, now streaming on Prime VideoYou’re Cordially Invited highlights one of the best attributes Will Ferrell has as a performer that people often forget about. You’re Cordially Invited pits Ferrell against fellow screen legend Reese Witherspoon, with the two both some gleefully petty energy to a conflict about who gets to keep a wedding venue. You’re Cordially Invited‘s cast is led by Witherspoon’s Morgan and Ferrell’s Jim. Jim is the widower father of bride-to-be Jenni, whose efforts to provide her with a perfect day quickly go beyond the typical scope of a father’s responsibilities at his daughter’s wedding.

By the time of You’re Cordially Invited‘s ending, Jim and his newfound rival Margot have made peace, grown as people, and even formed a romance. Both characters have also gone through some surprisingly effective character growth, which is brought to life well by the cast. While Witherspoon has rightfully earned plenty of awards and accolades for her skills though, Ferrell is less critically accomplished for his own talents. This is a shame, because Ferrell’s talents as a performer are on clear display with Jim and highlight what makes him such an enduring comedy star.

You’re Cordially Invited Uses Will Ferrell To His Full Potential

You’re Cordially Invited Lets Will Ferrell Be More Than Just Funny

Will Ferrell’s performance in You’re Cordially Invited highlights what makes him such a fantastic performer, proving how important the little moments of earnestness and vulnerability are to his screen persona. On paper, Jim is a standard role for the actor, albeit an older take on the concept. A well-meaning goofball around his loved ones, Jim reveals a surprisingly vindictive and angry side of himself while dealing with Reese Witherspoon’s Margot. This leads to plenty of comedic beats that will feel familiar to any fan of the actor, ranging from sudden shouting and silly expressions to intense fury over inconsequential things.

However, Jim is also steadily revealed to be a surprisingly wounded character. Jim’s over-the-top devotion to his daughter stems from his lingering grief over the death of his wife years before the events of You’re Cordially Invited. While he never stops being funny, this opens up a more vulnerable side of the character that the film explores in emotionally effective ways, like saying a sad cheers to his deceased wife or opening up to his daughter. It’s an impressively shaded performance that plays to Will Ferrell’s full suite of strengths as an actor.

Will Ferrell Was Always More Than Just Funny

Ferrell Is At His Best When He Brings Vulnerability To His Goofballs And Blowhards

Will Ferrell has been a comedy icon for decades. His ability to call upon an endless well of energy and emotion makes him an effective comedic performer, especially in bigger-than-life roles like Ron Burgundy or Buddy the Elf. What makes those performances more interesting though is the way that they build on secondary emotions. All of Ron’s bravado covers up a fragile ego that’s easy to pop. Buddy’s enthusiasm for everything Christmas underscores his unrelentingly positive outlook on the world. Will Ferrell’s best performances have a distinct emotional core beyond his comedic posturing, which carries over to You’re Cordially Invited.

Documentaries like Will & Harper highlight how this balancing act is at the core of Will Ferrell as a performer and a person. He’s someone capable of being effortlessly silly but quietly open with his emotions, and Jim is a great vehicle for that kind of balance. All of his big comedic swings stem from very real emotional beats and throughlines. Jim may take cartoonish glee in his revenge on Margot, but it stems from his genuine emotions and over-protective nature. Ferrell plays the character for laughs, but never treats him as anything less than a well-meaning man in pain.

What Will Ferrell’s Best Roles Share With You’re Cordially Invited

You’re Cordially Invited Highlights The Importance Of Emotional Balance In Comedy Performances

Will Ferrell’s best performances often strike a balance between his comic sensibilities and his more vulnerable side. Films like Stranger Than Fiction and Everything Must Go approach the character from a more grounded perspective and actively force him to confront his failings. This is something You’re Cordially Invited‘s most effective emotional moments do well, allowing Ferrell to channel big comedic impulses through real experiences and emotions. Even big goofy characters like President Business from The LEGO Movie are given a more emotional grounding thanks to the small bits of humanity that Ferrell brings to the role.

Ferrell makes You’re Cordially Invited a more compelling film through his performance. He’s able to go big and broad at times in the film, but he also knows when to pull it back and let Jim’s sadness and open heart carry the character. It’s the same thing that has always made Will Ferrell’s characters more compelling than they initially appear, and has always made him a special performer. You’re Cordially Invited is at its best when it can reach those emotional beats with his character.