BuzzSugar

I Love You, Man: Bromance at Its Cutest

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:45:52 -0700

I Love You, Man is a sweet, low-key comedy about two guys who find true friendship. As I left the screening a friend said it struck her as a kind of poor man's Judd Apatow movie (meant as a positive thing, BTW) - in the literal sense, it seems lower-budget but it's also just quieter, tamer, and less yucky. There's tons of super awkwardness, similar to the kind we see each week in The Office, and little gross-out humor. It's also simply more genuine than something Apatow might do, and it's a nice change.

The movie focuses on the platonic relationship between two guys, and the fact that they're guys is central to the humor of their awkward blossoming friendship. It all starts when Peter (Paul Rudd) proposes to his girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones) and realizes that he has nobody to be his best man in the wedding. So, on the advice of his gay brother Robbie (Andy Samberg), he goes on a series of "man dates" to try and find a friend to be his best man. Finally, Peter meets Sydney (Jason Segel), the carefree and fun-loving antidote to Peter's buttoned-up steadiness. Peter discovers what it's like to talk frankly with another guy and how to loosen up a little bit and not always play by the rules. Sydney's relaxed attitude starts to rub off on Peter, which is refreshing until it gets to the point that Peter (and Zooey, for that matter) feels like he's not totally himself anymore. He then has to figure out if he can balance both romance and bromance in his life. For more of my thoughts on it all, read more.

There are a lot of perfect fits in this movie. Rudd and Segel are natural together, and they strike a comfortable balance of sincere affection and dudeliness. Rudd fits well with his character, Peter, who's just a nice, stable guy with a calm and respectful temperament. It's easy to like Peter for who he is, though we recognize that he lacks some confidence and might be more successful if he believed in himself. Rudd easily takes on this role, without judging Peter, and it's satisfying to see that he's quite capable of carrying a movie as the lead character.

The emphasis is on the "bromance" between these two guys - their totally straight man-love - and a lot of the humor stems from Peter trying to navigate a male friendship. How to get close but not really intimate? How much of himself should he show? It's an exploration of friendship in general, really (finding the people who bring out the best in us, etc.). It's just a new and funny story because of the ever-changing societal norms that dictate how men should acceptably express emotion and love.

There are funnier movies out there, but I Love You, Man is certainly one of the easiest and most digestible comedies I've seen in a long time. The boys are cute and funny without being over-the-top, and the girls are relatable and funny without being naggy psychos. There's no poop or menstrual blood, but there are lots of silly lines that people will be quoting for a long, long time ("Sleppin' da bayse, mon"). It's like this year's Anchorman or Superbad in that sense - but it's a helluva lot cuter than both of those.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

What Was the Biggest Surprise of the Emmys?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 03:30:00 -0700

What a night! There were some expected wins, like America Ferrera winning for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy and "The Sopranos" taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. But then there were some major surprises, too. I found these things to be most startling wins of the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards:

James Spader - Seriously?! I'm slightly surprised Spader beat out Hugh Laurie, but most of all, how is it possible he beat out James Gandolfini in the final season of "The Sopranos"?

Jaime Pressly - I had the toughest time figuring out who might win in this category because, between Elizabeth Perkins, Vanessa Williams and Jenna Fischer the talent was so tremendous. I just didn't think Pressly would take this one.

Sally Field - Again, the competition in Field's category was very strong (Edie Falco and Kyra Sedgwick?), and this was Field's first season on a new show, so I never truly expected her to take the award.

Ricky Gervais - Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Gervais because I think he's a genius, but I didn't realize the voters would really choose him, considering some of the mainstream hits that Gervais was up against (Sheen of "Two and a Half Men" and the previous voters' favorite Tony Shalhoub).

"30 Rock" - Wow, did I not see this coming at all! This scrappy young NBC series took a little while to find its footing, and up against other beloved series like "Entourage" and even "Ugly Betty," I figured it wouldn't be the voters' favorite.

Photo courtesy of Fox

What Do You Think About the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 20:28:51 -0700

Jaime Pressly is taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy. She beat out Conchata Ferrell, Jenna Fischer, Elizabeth Perkins, Holland Taylor and Vanessa Williams. What do you think about this win?

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Camden County Wants to "Free Earl"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:30:01 -0700

When Earl Hickey was sent to jail on the season finale of "My Name is Earl" last spring, what were the good people of Camden County to do? Why, they gathered to make a "We Are the World"-style music video pleading for Earl's release, that's what.

The video, which promotes the Sept. 27 season premiere of the show, features the whole "Earl" cast belting out the reasons Earl should be set free (best one: "he's our karma guy"). If you can handle Jaime Pressly's intentionally off-key singing, the whole thing is pretty amusing. NBC also put together a funny "making-of" video, which you can watch over here. Now everybody, get ready to join hands and sing "Free Earl!" when you read more

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TV Tonight: "My Name is Earl"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 08:10:55 -0700

Alright, this one's for all of you who yelled at me for including "My Name is Earl" in the Stop One Show list. "Earl" wraps up its second season tonight with a "supersized," 40-minute episode, and Earl's finally got his life in order, what with the job and the GED. Now, though, it's time for Joy's truck-stealing trial - and Earl must serve as a character witness. Fans, take note: Show creator Greg Garcia and stars Jaime Pressly and Ethan Suplee will be live-blogging on NBC's site after the show, and you can submit your questions now. To watch a preview clip for the episode, read more

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