Couples Retreat (2009)

Couples Retreat - 2009

Ready for a vacation?  How about a couples retreat?  That's what we have in store for you today.  2009's "Couples Retreat" follows the stories of four couples who travel to a tropical destination to work on their relationships.  It's hard going, and the couples' relationship may not survive this retreat.

The film's cast includes Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Kali Hawk, Tasha Smith, Carlos Ponce, Colin Baiocchi, Vernon Vaughn, Ken Jeong, Temuera Morrison, John Michael Higgins, and Amy Hill.

In order to work spend some quality time together, four couples (who are also friends) travel together to the Eden Resort on Bora-Bora.  They look forward to a bunch of fun activities.  What they don't bargain for is the strict atmosphere of a couples retreat: no phones, no TV, no fun...until they work on their relationships.

First up, we have Dave and Ronnie, a husband and wife with two kids.  A hectic lifestyle has them pulling apart at the seams.

Joey and Lucy are a husband and wife who got together in high school.  They've got a daughter headed off to college now, and their marriage is headed for divorce as both want to pursue other things.

Shane and Trudy only just met a few weeks earlier.  Shane is recently coming out of a bad marriage, and that's all he can talk about.  Trudy is a lot younger than Shane and just wants to have a good time.  At the restaurant the night before, Trudy is very leery about eating fish.  "I used to work at the Red Lobster, so, I know what they do with them fish in the kitchen," she says matter of factly.

Jason and Cynthia are a married couple who is having trouble conceiving.  The stress of it all is breaking apart their marriage.  It was their idea to bring their friends to this getaway to work on their relationships.

Instead of the relaxing time they all thought they were going to have, the itinerary designed for them provides some challenges.  These include waking up at the crack of dawn to partake in a strange disrobing ceremony, feeding lemon sharks some bloody fish ("The Circle of Life is circling our lives!" screams out Dave), and a very hands-on yoga instructor.

After completing their sessions, the group emerges much stronger in their respective relationships.  The course designer gives them each a carving of their spirit animals.  Coincidentally, Shane meets up with his estranged wife (who was vacationing on the other side of the island), and he lets Trudie go so he can get back to working on his marriage.

The instructor announces that now that they have finished the course they can enjoy themselves and treat the resort as their own personal Sandals.  Everybody is very excited to get to have some fun.

A funny moment happens next.  Dave's father is watching his and Ronnie's kids while they are on the trip.  During a visit to the home store, the youngest son Kevin has to go to the bathroom.  Seeing a toilet nearby, he gets right down to business.  "It's nice to take a moment and just relax," he says.

Cast rundown:

   Vince Vaughn...................................Dave

   Malin Akerman.................................Ronnie

   Jason Bateman.................................Jason Smith

   Faizon Love......................................Shane

   Jon Favreau......................................Joey

   Kristen Bell.......................................Cynthia Smith

   Kristin Davis.....................................Lucy

   Kali Hawk.........................................Trudie

   Tasha Smith......................................Jennifer

   Carlos Ponce.....................................Salvadore

   Colin Baiocchi....................................Kevin

   Vernon Vaughn..................................Grandpa Jim-Jim

   Ken Jeong.........................................Therapist

   Temuera Morrison..............................Briggs

   John Michael Higgins..........................Therapist

   Amy Hill............................................Therapist

And that's it for Couples Retreat.  This movie was filmed in the amazing location of Bora-Bora.  The St. Regis resort, where this was filmed, plays this movie on a loop on one of their TV channels.

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