The filmmaking team of Bobby and Peter Farrelly epitomized the
gross-out humor of the past decade with standouts such as “There’s
Something About Mary,” which ushered in a new critical and commercial
appreciation for the cinematically vulgar.

Only recently have they tried to sentimentalize their material,
starting with 2001’s “Shallow Hal.” Now with “Stuck On You,” they’ve
taken a potentially outrageous idea – a comedy about conjoined twins
– and turned it into a frequently funny but unmemorable time-passer.

The film is distinguished by some good performances (Greg Kinnear),
some run-of-the-mill ones (Matt Damon) and a few excellent extended
cameos from big-name stars such as Meryl Streep and Cher. If only the
project was a little edgier, a tad more over the top … in other
words, if only it was more “R.”

Kinnear and Damon play Walt and Bob Tenor, a pair of “Siamese twins”
who own a popular diner in Martha’s Vineyard. Although they share a
liver – which has prevented surgical separation – they lead fairly
diverse lifestyles from each other.

Walt (Kinnear) is the outgoing one. He is far more confident with the
ladies than the shy Bob. Plus, he has found success as a theatrical
actor, where his friends and co-workers pack the auditorium to watch
his yearly “one-man show.” (His latest is called “Tru,” based on the
life of Truman Capote. What about Bob? He dresses from head to toe in
black and tries to stay out of the way. It doesn’t help matters,
though, that he suffers from intense stage fright.)

The local productions are just not enough for Walt, however, who
finally convinces his twin to relocate to Los Angeles in order to
pursue the dream of becoming a full-time actor. Fortunately, Bob is
lured at the chance to meet May (Wen Yann Shih), a Chinese immigrant
who now lives in L.A. with whom he’s been cultivating an Internet
romance – even though he never got around to telling her about his
physical situation.

This leads to several awkward first dates where the brothers must
find different excuses for why they are always standing next to each
other. (“He can be a little clingy,” Bob apologizes.)

“Stuck On You” is pretty much a slice-of-life tale – albeit a quirky
one – concerning the daily routines of its lead characters. The humor
of the Tenors’ predicament doesn’t come from how awkward things are
for them, but how EASY things are.

They are completely comfortable with their own bodies, as are the
townspeople of the insular community who befriend and respect them.
And in most instances they excel at whatever they do, whether
functioning as a formidable goalie on their amateur hockey team or
when speed-cooking orders at their burger joint.

A little of this stuff goes a long way, and the picture only really
kicks into gear when the Tenors move out West and Walt lands a gig on
a network TV series. Here, the Farrellys are able to skewer Hollywood
more than just rely on the next dual sight gag.

Particularly game is Cher, who stars as herself while playing Walt’s
co-star in a ridiculous new crime show. The filmmakers are so mean to
Cher, depicting her as a superficial, vindictive prima donna, that
it’s a real question if the diva even understood to what extent she’s
being mocked.

What works best about “Stuck On You” is the choice to give Bob and
Walt such different personalities. Somehow it’s more amusing that
they dress completely dissimilar than if they had eccentric matching
outfits. They don’t even look like guys who would hang out together,
let alone be attached at the hip. (Is it a coincidence they have the
same basic haircuts as the title characters from the Farrelly’s “Dumb
and Dumber?”)

The Tenors are pretty interesting, especially the more ambitious
Walt, although the movie has trouble padding their story out to two
hours.

All this leads to a way-too-long musical finale that falls entirely
flat. The Farrellys seem to be setting the stage for a misguided
production with “Springtime for Hitler”-like awfulness. But all they
manage to do is make a rather sub-par homage to “Chicago.”

This is indicative of why “Stuck On You” needed that extra helping of
raunchiness. Toning down the humor doesn’t make the film more
endearing, just more forgettable.