It's not just that Steve Carrell plays Andy perfectly, or that Paul Rudd, Seth Rogan, Jayne Lynch, and the rest of the supporting cast are able to earn honest laughs, too...What makes this movie work is that they all play it natural and actually make the characters feel real, not like the overblown caricatures they are.
I am tempted right now to go pop this DVD in, watch the movie twice, and then finish writing this. Unfortunately I don't have time to do that. I'll have to settle for reminiscing about my three favorite moments from the film:
- The car ride with Leslie Mann (the hottie from the bachelorette party). Her epic drunken rant, from wishing for her period and French toast to the surprise collision ("That fucker came out of nowhere!") actually gets funnier each time I see it.
- When Andy tells Cal (Seth Rogan) that his girlfriend is actually a grandmother, Cal lets out a string of one-liners about grandma sex, including "Fuck her and have her send you a check for twelve dollars on your birthday." Normally sex with a grandma jokes would not be very funny, but in context they are freaking hysterical.
- When Any's boss (Jayne Lynch) finds out he's a virgin and offers a discreet relationship that "will haunt your dreams." Specifically, her tale of losing her virginity to their gardener when she was a teen, up to and including her Guatemalan love song (NOTE: I think it was Guatemalan. I told you I don't have time to watch the movie right now, so I can't be sure). The ultimate play-it-straight moment is when she sings. She totally sells that scene.
My next favorite part is the entire rest of the movie.
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