My distaste for the “stoner-slacker” genre of Judd Apatow’s flock is, admittedly, also tinged by a hint of interest and awe- a bunch of friends making Hollywood comedies together. That they give credit where credit is due (Bill Murray, Steve Martin) is only icing on the cake. In I Love You, Man, these twenty and thirtysomethings finally eschew the narcissism and underlying negativity, ending up with a comedy that is actually “feel-good”.
Paul Rudd (who seems to be in every movie these days) plays Peter Klaven, a hopelessly nice guy that, at the beginning of the film, proposes to his girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones). She accepts, and they are excited, but soon it becomes obvious that Peter has spent his life catering to girlfriends and doesn’t have a single true male friend. Whereas in Knocked Up and The 40-Year Old Virgin, and Superbad, guys littered the screen, Peter is actually surrounding by women, at least until he starts looking for a best man for his wedding. He tries meeting guys for dinner (a definite “no-no” according to his gay brother Robby, played by SNL cast member Andy Samberg), and eventually gives up. He’s a realtor trying to sell Lou Ferrigno’s house, and during a house showing, he meets a guy named Syndney Fife who’s scoping out potential female divorcees. After describing the food Peter serves as “a revelation”, they exchange business cards.
The awkward concept of “man-date” is thoroughly explored in this film; whether or not it’s appropriate to call and so on, and Peter, the hopelessly nice yet hopelessly awkward “girlfriend guy”, struggles to fit in. When he finally meets up with Sydney, he’s unable to come up with a cool nickname for him (Sydney calls Peter “Pistol”). It’s painful, and yet you realize that a trip to the mall or any public place would show groups of dudes hanging out together, conversing in a very specific and regulated way. It’s a blessing that Peter doesn’t know the dumb guy stuff, and it’s a blessing he’s not Sydney Fife, a perpetually laid back slacker with a “man-cave”, replete with drum set, Rush posters, and jerk-off station (wait, what). Sydney seems incapable of settling down.
While there are some minor conflicts throughout the film, overall it’s a mainline dose of happiness and fun, without a hint of tragedy to be found. Everything works out, everyone is happy, and we all learn a thing or two in the process. The dialogue is comic genius, a combination of awkward pauses, gibberish when one can’t think of what to say, and pop culture references (Syndney’s dog is named Anwar Sadat). Filmed in and around Los Angeles, it’s a bright, sunny movie, with no ugly references to the economic or political or moral conflicts plaguing the country- we’d be cursed if this was the only kind of movie to come out, but as a pick-me-up, I Love You, Man works.
