PRINTTake Two: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, How I Met Your Mother’s Jason Segel (center) tries to get over his TV-star girlfriend, played by Kristen Bell (far right). But he accidentally books a vacation to the same place she is. Naturally, bizarre and often funny awkwardness ensues.
April 24, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Crude, painful, awkward and immature — in a good way. This pretty much sums up Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the latest film from Judd Apatow’s comedy clan. Funnier than Knocked Up, though not quite as original as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the romantic comedy, written by lead actor Jason Segel and directed by first-timer Nicholas Stoller, would surely be included in an Apatow box set.
Peter (Segel) hasn’t gotten out of his bathrobe since being dumped by his TV-star girlfriend Sarah (Kristen Bell). For a week of healing, Peter heads to a Hawaiian resort, where, oops, Sarah is visiting with her new English-accented, netted shirt-wearing, rock-star boyfriend. To make things more interesting, Peter also falls for the chill, rough-edged hotel clerk Rachel (Mila Kunis).
How I Met Your Mother’s Segel is perfect as the head of a cast drawing from the regular Apatow crowd (Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader) and TV actors (Kunis and Bell) and has no problem filling the big screen. Bell could take the lei for her surprisingly funny performance, despite being the heartbreaker of the tale. Hill, who sticks to off-the-cuff Superbad humor, also steals scenes as an overzealous waiter.
Stoller wrote for Apatow’s briefly lived but hilarious show Undeclared, in which Segel starred. Stoller's writing shows reverence for Segel’s script and stays true to subtle humor and ridiculous ramblings. Although Forgetting Sarah Marshall feels a bit like Ben Stiller's The Heartbreak Kid, Segel gives the old formula a face-lift with likeable villains, cruder jokes, a smoother story line and, yes, male nudity. The script stays fresh by poking fun at pop culture, from Flavor of Love to CSI.
Frankly, it’s about time Segel’s screenwriting talent, acting skills and family jewels were revealed. It’s likely that Forgetting Sarah Marshall will take him far because the film is almost as satisfying as making your ex jealous.
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