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A movie doesn’t have to be an Oscar-winning best picture to make an impression. Some films just have a moment—a scene, a line, or maybe a character—that lives on. The movie itself may not become a classic, but those little moments become snippets of Hollywood history—like the unforgettable Flying Elvis scene in the madcap rom-com Honeymoon in Vegas.
Of course, the film isn’t just about skydiving Elvis impersonators. It’s about love and money and second chances—and it all starts with a dying woman’s last wish.
Ever since his dying mother begged him never to get married, Jack Singer (Nicolas Cage) has been reluctant to tie the knot. But when it becomes all too clear that he’s about to lose the girl of his dreams over his failure to commit, he decides that it’s time to give in. He and his girlfriend, Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker), fly out to Vegas to get hitched—but, before they can say “I do,” a ruthless gambler throws a wrench in their happily-ever-after.
Tommy Korman (James Caan) sees Betsy from across the hotel lobby, and her striking resemblance to his late wife makes him believe that he’s been given a second chance. To win her over, he’ll just have to get Jack out of the way—but he doesn’t realize just how far Jack will go to hold on to the woman he loves.
With a soundtrack full of cleverly-placed Elvis songs and covers, a cast of outrageous characters, and even more outrageous performances, Honeymoon in Vegas offers more than just a bunch of guys in light-up sequin jumpsuits dropping out of a plane.
Nothing about this wacky romance is even the remotest bit realistic—which, really, is part of the fun. From Anne Bancroft’s short scene as Jack’s dying mother to the Flying Elvises’ memorable entrance, everything about it is silly and over-the-top. And if you’re making an over-the-top movie, you can’t find a better star than Nic Cage.
Cage is in his Golden Globe-nominated glory as the commitment-phobic private investigator who still has disturbing dreams about his dead mother. He’s alternately irritable and absolutely frantic, and he yells more than any human being should—but that’s what makes him so oddly endearing. His over-the-top style is contagious, too—because Parker plays along, turning in her own adorably overdone comedic performance.
The rest, then, is just icing on the cake. Throw in James Caan as a smooth-talking, lovesick villain (whose actions make little or no sense), Peter Boyle as a Hawaiian chief with a penchant for musical theater, and (of course) a casino full of devoted Elvis impersonators, and you’ve got one ridiculous—yet ridiculously entertaining—romantic comedy. It may not be the kind of movie that will be Always on [Your] Mind, but, if you only know Honeymoon in Vegas for its iconic Flying Elvis scene, give it a little more of your time. You might just find that you Can’t Help Falling in Love with this zany comedy.
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