Ever wondered what Andy Stitzer would look like with a wife and kids? Crazy, Stupid, Love. answers the question for us in this week’s Disc Dive.
Title: Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Directors: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Premiered: July 19, 2011 (United States)
Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes
Disc Format: DVD
Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is out to dinner with his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore). While he’s trying to decide what he wants for dessert, Emily has decided exactly what it is she wants: a divorce.
On the awkward drive home, Emily tries talking to Cal about the whole thing. She admits to having an affair with her co-worker, David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon), and he pleads with her to just stop talking. He goes so far as threatening to jump out if she doesn’t stop. Well, true to his word, as Emily continues on about the affair, Cal undoes his seatbelt, opens the car door, and jumps out of the moving car.
Now that he’s on his own, he needs to figure out how to get back out there and meet women. He begins frequenting a local upscale lounge and sits at the bar as a giant Debbie Downer. He tells anyone who will listen about how his wife cheated on him with David Lindhagen. Jacob (Ryan Gosling) overhears Cal loudly proclaiming that his wife cuckolded him and invites him over for a drink. Jacob has no issues with the ladies and has looks and charisma for days. To Cal’s surprise, Jacob agrees to take him under his wing.
Cal just needs to be willing to put in the work and embrace a new version of himself.
There was no way of knowing at the time, but this film provided us with what would become two of the most popular reaction GIFs, both with Ryan Gosling’s Jacob. We have the reaction to Cal opening his velcro wallet and then, towards the end of the film, Jacob’s attempt to stifle his laughter at an inappropriate time.
The casting of Crazy, Stupid, Love. could not have been better. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone show us just how effortlessly magnetic they are together on screen, with chemistry that they would reignite a few years later in Gangster Squad and more memorably after that in La La Land. Then we have Steve Carell, who always makes me laugh, showing us “what if Andy from The 40-Year-Old Virgin got married, had kids, separated, and reentered the dating pool?”, and then there’s the absolutely stacked supporting cast.
Kevin Bacon is easy to hate as the smug David Lindhagen, and Marisa Tomei is an absolute riot as one of Cal’s dates and his son’s teacher. Julianne Moore is a delight in everything she’s in. That remains true here, with her role living in the gray between lead and supporting. Jonah Bobo as Robbie and Lio Tipton as Jessica both deliver memorable performances as love-confused kids. We’re even treated to funny bit parts from the likes of John Carroll Lynch and Liza Lapira.
While Crazy, Stupid, Love. runs almost two hours, it never feels like a two-hour movie. The comedy helps keep things moving while bringing some much-needed levity, given the subject matter of divorce and heartbreak. Dan Fogelman’s writing is as heartfelt as it is hilarious. You’re still laughing when something heavy hits. And while there are multiple subplots, they come together with strategic reveals sprinkled in, and each remains engaging in its own right.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a comedy that I revisit often and appreciate more with every rewatch.