This is 40? Ok....Then I Guess This Is My Review

 

My wife and I watched 'This is 40' a few days ago.  And..well, lets just say that its not what we expected. We were expecting a non-stop comedy but what we received was a mirror; a look at a married couple that was eerily similar to ours.  It was slightly comedic, slightly poignant, very real, and not as good a movie as I have come to expect from Judd Apatow.

Paul Rudd did Paul Rudd.  He was supposed to act like a child and did a good job of it.
Leslie Mann did Leslie Mann.  She was supposed to be a mother of 2, a wife to 1 and an overbearing nag to everyone.  She did a good job as well.
Albert Brooks plays the same character he plays in everyone movie; a slightly neurotic, jerky, moop.  And, of course, he does a splendid job.

So....if you're reading this you think that everything is hunky doory...right?  WRONG!

The script was sub par- it put the couple in the midst of a financial crisis but didnt do a good job of saying how they got there?  (signing one shitty artist wouldnt put you in the lurch; neither would having one thieving employee).  The children were sometimes funny but mostly angsty.  I get that the teen was supposed to be a handful but she came off as more disgruntled than anything else.

Melissa McCarthy was wasted in her small role as were John Lithgow, Jason Segel, Charlene Yi and HELL, everyone!  The movie had great promise but just died before it really got started.

Great cast, bad script.  Redbox it. 

Movies that discuss the trials and tribulations of family life--Top 5 list

Sorry that I have been away for so long.  My wife and I recently added to our brood and so now baby makes 5!  As I type I am working on approx 6 hours sleep and a hunger headache but I vow to power through for you, my devoted reader (the fact that its singular is not a typo--smile). 

So here is my list of the 5 best, most realistic, movies that should be studied by newlyweds to give them an idea of life after "I do" (insert stupid Kardashian joke here). 

WARNING:  Spoilers jumping around like Seabiscuit siring mares at his studly retirement home. 

5.  For Keeps (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095169/):  This movie was my first introduction to Hollywood trying to take family life seriously.  The high school seniors, who are in love, make an 'oops' baby, get married, try to go to college, almost get divorced, then realize that they love each other and are going to try to make it work.  Descent movie but what I love most about it is my mother's statement to me when the credits were rolling, "Son, that doesnt happen in real life.  If you get a girl pregnant while you are in high school your life is over...".  Gee, thanks Mom (smile).

4. She's Having a Baby (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096094/):  Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern star as a newlywed couple starting a family.  He is scared shitless and she is intent on having the ideal family 'now'!  Makes for an interesting premise and a good movie.   Movie shows what a man is thinking when his wife is pregnant (OH SHIT!) and what a woman is thinking while he is standing there dimwitted (Did I really marry THIS guy?!  OH SHIT!)

3. Love Actually (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/):  Now only a segment of this movie is marriage centered so you have to stick with me here....The segment that revolves around Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson.  The stupidity of Alan Rickman, flirting with the office whore, and the hurt/devastation of Emma Thompson as she finds out about it are two things that every couple hopes they never encounter.  The fact that they are portrayed so perfectly in the movie is a credit to the actors and the script.  The fact that they are being mentioned in this blog is a credit to me because I recognize that while every couple hopes their experience doesnt mimic whats in this movie there will certainly be some obstacles that they will have to face and this movie is an excellent guide for how to handle such conflicts AMICABLY!

2. Fools Rush In (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119141/);  This movie is best described as what 'Our Family Wedding' was trying to be.  This is an absolute must see for any couple that comes from two completely different backgrounds/cultures/societies.  Salma Hayek takes an excellent turn as a 'very Latina woman' that comes from a 'very Latino family' and Matthew Perry does his usual 'Chandler-esque' best as 'the White man without a clue'.  This movie succeeds because it shows us that family differences really dont matter as long as the two who are married are devoted to each other and the success of their marriage. 

1.  The Story of Us (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160916/):  Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer star in this movie as a couple that has been married for 15 years but is considering divorce.  The film, directed by co-star Rob Reiner, does an excellent job of showing the ups and downs of married and family life.  If you are going to watch one movie from this list it should be this!!!  This movie helps explain how good marriages go bad and how, sometimes even love cant conquer all...at least not before 120 minutes have passed and we need the Hollywood ending to bring in the audience.