Written and Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Albert Brooks, Chris O’Dowd.
A romantic comedy film about a married couple approaching their 40s (they are 38), but rather than planning a celebration for their significant milestones, they find they’re in their own mid-life crisis with two children who dislike each other and are unruly, they’re in debt, and they also seem to be unhappy. They both approach family, friends, and colleagues to help them come to terms with turning 40.
While browsing through Netflix to find a good film to watch that’s also funny, I came across this film, and I made a good choice, as it is hilarious. The beginning starts off rather raunchy with a shower scene, but innuendos.
I enjoyed this film a lot, not because it made me laugh (although that is one benefit as to why I enjoyed the movie) but because it felt it highlighted a lot of things many people struggle with, particularly when it comes to leaving youth behind and working on accepting growing older, the film also highlighted how Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete’s (Paul Rudd) eldest daughter is going through puberty and the challenges that can bring.
Alongside this, Pete and Debbie are struggling with their own issues with their marriage and trying to rekindle their romance, which seems to have been lost through the years in their marriage, and now with new struggles of their daughter Sadie experiencing puberty, hormones, boys, etc. Despite Sadie being unplanned, Pete tries to be a good father by fulfilling his duties, even though his passion for music places him in a somewhat awkward position within the family, as they don’t share the same passions/interests in music.
Debbie, on the other hand, owns a clothing store where she discovers that two of her staff members have been stealing money from the store, which is the reason the family has been facing further financial difficulties. With their eldest, Sadie, nearing her first period at any given moment, cracks start to show, with teenage tempers showing due to the parents’ actions of immaturity.
Judd Apatow does a good job of throwing in a mix of humour (including slapstick and some toilet humour) as well as showing some meaningful scenes that capture the struggles of teenage moods, hormonal changes, financial issues, etc. As a comedy romance film, it works. The humour gives the heavy feelings a lighter touch. However, I have never been much of a fan of any sexual scenes in films – I always feel weird and uncomfortable. Still, I thought that after a few of them, the sexual innuendos were not so funny. However, I found myself laughing out loud at certain scenes. With all my reviews, I recommend giving this one a watch and let me know what you think.
I give this film a 3.5 star rating!
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