Ed Helms and John C. Reilly's Feel-Good Comedy With 86% on Rotten Tomatoes Is a Forgotten Gem of the Early 2010s

Film fans often lament the lack of new comedy movies on the release calendar nowadays. The straightforward, character-driven, and reliably funny 90-minute comedy sort of seems like a thing of the past. This makes movies like Miguel Arteta's somewhat-forgotten film, Cedar Rapids, feel like a refreshing return to a bygone era when viewed today, even though it was released less than 15 years ago. The 2011 film stars Ed Helms in his first true leading role on the big screen. Despite receiving generally positive reviews upon its release — it currently has an 86% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — Cedar Rapids earned less than $8 million at the worldwide box office. This lack of popularity is unfortunate, as Cedar Rapids deserves a legacy similar to some of the more beloved films of its era. Like many of the movies from that time, Arteta's film derives its success from a screenplay that gets the most out of a simple story, and doesn’t sacrifice character development or emotion for humor.