First Hit: A very funny quirky little film.
I like films like this that surprise me with their ability to engage me with humor.
Tim Lippe (played by Ed Helms) plays a small town insurance agent who really believes in the value of insurance and insurance agents. He is selected by his agency to go a major regional conference in Cedar Rapids. Tim has never left his hometown, so going to Cedar Rapids is a very big deal.
His childlike innocence and enthusiasm makes him easy to like and an easy target by other agents at the conference. He’s been tasked to get the 2 Diamond Award given at this conference, which would make 4 in a row for his agency. At the conference he rooms with Ronald (played by Isiah Whitlock Jr.) and wild man Dean Ziegler (played by John C. Reilly).
Dean gets Tim to drink and eventually he ends up nude in the pool with Joan Ostrowski-Fox (played by Anne Heche). But then he discovers that Orin Helgesson (played by Kurtwood Smith) gives the award away by taking bribes. Tim spirals upon learning that his agency won the previous awards through these bribes.
His roommates save him from himself and Tim ends up exposing Orin’s tainted past to everyone and the ending? Happy.
Helms is absolutely convincing as half man and half boy. He controls his expressions and language to perfection. Reilly is perfect and over the top as the wild yet honest agent. Whitlock is wonderful in his role as mediator and enforcer. Heche is really good as the wife who lets herself be someone else during the conference. Phil Johnston wrote an excellent tight and wonderful script. Miguel Arteta expertly directed this 87 minute film.
Overall: This film was a surprise at how well it was executed and acted.