The Hangover

The Hangover

A rite of passage from singlehood to couplehood is the bachelor party. The Hangover takes us on the quintessential road trip to Vegas to celebrate Doug’s commitment to his future marriage. The movie starts with four men coming together for Doug’s pre-wedding celebration. Doug is the very willing groom who loves his bride-to-be. He is also a kiss up to his future father-in-law, wanting acceptance into his new family. Phil is the stereotypical good time friend with common sense but a flair for risky fun. Stu, is the nice but uptight, extreme voice of reason. He is submissive to his girlfriend, who gives him such a hard time about going on a road trip that he lies about his destination. Alan, the future brother-in-law, who is slightly mentally off and has feminine qualities. These qualities provide comic relief. Alan is the one character that defies our definition of totally male. He exhibits some feminine traits like carrying a ‘satchel’, sharing his feelings, and taking on the responsibility of the baby they have acquired.

After a short toast, time advances to the next morning where our four friends find themselves awakening after a night of drinking and chaos. None of them can remember the events of the past 12 hours or the whereabouts of their groom, Doug! The rest of the movie unfolds as we put the pieces of the puzzle together to find Doug in time for the wedding. The audience experiences the assembly of pieces just as Phil, Stu and Alan do.

This is the ever dreaded trip for a bride. But the most anticipated trip for the groom and his groomsmen. “Cultures play a huge role in how the activities and characteristics ascribed to men and women are defined…and these definitions are subject to change” (Beedles and Petracca, 203). Even the Las Vegas tourism website has coined the jingle “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” emphasizing the fact that the culture we live in supports our stereotypical traditions. In a frantic moment after finding out he is married during the blackout period, Stu rants that all the evidence must be torched, “all evidence that this night never happened” (The Hangover).

Beedles, Bonnie and Petracca, Michael. Academic Communities/Disciplinary Conventions. “Gender and    Sexuality”. Upper Saddle River : Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001.

The Hangover. Dir. Todd Phillips. With Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha. Warner Brothers, 2009.