A forgotten relic of the mid-budget, star-driven, romantic-comedy era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Honeymoon in Vegas is a bit corny and contrived, but the movie gradually levitates above its limitations thanks to its three leads, whose performances count among the best in their careers. Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker play Jack and Betsy, overdue for marriage but held back by the deathbed request of Jack’s mother that he never tie the knot. In a burst of Cage-y passion—delivered with the explosive earnestness that had come to define the star by this point—they decide to fly to Las Vegas to become man and wife. But there, Jack’s cold feet lead to a poker game with professional gambler Tommy Korman (James Caan, wryly riffing on his tough-guy reputation). When Jack loses big, Korman offers to erase the debt in exchange for a weekend with Besty. Unlike Indecent Proposal, which would come out the following year, writer-director Andrew Bergman plays this scenario for laughs, while also giving space for clever character development. When Tommy’s motives appear to be rooted in grief over his late wife, to whom Betsy bears a striking resemblance, our sympathies shift a bit (this is also due to Caan’s careful handling of the character). Parker, who gives Betsy a spirited spine, is deft enough to convince us that Betsy deserves something better than the flaky Jack. As for Cage—who spends most of the movie on his own, as Jack flails about in pursuit when Tommy absconds to Hawaii with Betsy—he not only nails the comedy, but also layers every moment with the desperate sadness of a man who knows he’s made the biggest mistake of his life and may not be able to atone for it. This all leads to perhaps the greatest romantic-comedy reunion scene of all time, which I dare not spoil beyond sharing two words: Flying Elvises. With a very young Bruno Mars as a kiddie Elvis impersonator, a very funny Pat Morita as a duplicitous cab driver, and a very unfortunate Peter Boyle as a Hawaiian “chief” of some sort.
(3/26/2022)
