Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Crass comedy has lots of sex, nudity, language.

R 2008 111 minutes
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 12 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 43 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 Judd Apatow comedy in which Jason Segel plays a guy who has just been dumped and is trying to get over his ex. Segel is shown completely naked: It's brief, but we see his penis and buttocks. The movie derives much of its humor from showing or making reference to casual sex and various sex acts. In one montage, Segel's character has one-night stands with a variety of women, breasts shown. In another montage, two honeymooners are shown attempting sex in a variety of ways -- no nudity, but a lot of comical yelling and moaning. Casual sex, group sex, and masturbation are all referenced as one-liners. There's a topless picture of one of the lead female characters that is taped to a men's room wall in a bar; the lead character is shown beaten and bruised after fighting the bar owner after removing the picture from the wall. Attempted oral sex is shown and graphically discussed. Profanity is frequently used, including "f--k" and variations. Characters binge-drink -- beer, wine, cocktails -- and get extremely drunk, and make drug references. However, there's also a thoughtful message and reflection -- as comically exaggerated as it may be -- on the heartbreak, sadness, and difficulties everyone faces at some point after the end of a failed relationship, and how people find a way to try again.

Community Reviews

AmitApollo
AmitApollo Adult
March 7, 2021
age 18+

Incredible movie, great dialogue, deep characters

This move is absolutely hilarious. Most romcoms are trite, predictable and follow the most predictable tropes. This movie whilst contains the same elements from the genre, it is head and shoulders above the rest. Although some may be put off by the full male nudity and crass humour it proves to differentiate itself with excellent acting, sympathetic characters and intelligent humour. The screenwriters present an affable leading man we can all root for. Siegel proves to be a lovable hero and his relatability is the driving force for this comedy juggernaut. The whole movie I just want to high five Peter Bretter. Then there’s the Russel Brand scenes which are hilarious, and surprisingly has some catchy singing and his rockstar character persona deserves its own review for how spot on it is. His whole persona and sexualised ora deserves a couple spin offs alone. I know there’s “get him to the greek” but it deserves another one. I’m disappointed that they didn’t use Jonah Hill from this movie as Aldous’ giant fan boy, but as a different character, Aaron.
Apersonthatdoesstuff ..
Apersonthatdoesstuff .. Adult
February 22, 2021
age 15+

Ehhh

Violence 0/5 Sex 5/5 Language 5/5 Drink/Drugs/Smoking 4/5

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When his TV actress girlfriend, the titular Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), calls to say she's arrived home early from a trip and is coming over, Peter (Jason Segel) hustles to get his apartment cleaned and strips naked, hoping for an action-packed homecoming. Instead, she dumps him (while he's still naked), sending him into paroxysms of grief. To forget her, he heads to Hawaii -- but, as luck would have it, she's vacationing there, too, with her new beau, rocker Aldous Snow (British comic Russell Brand). In no short order, Peter careens from pining for Sarah to hooking up with hotel clerk Rachel (Mila Kunis). Forgetting Sarah Marshall isn't really all that difficult -- or is it?

Is It Any Good?

From the movie's skin-baring setup to its end credits, you can't help but root for musician Peter. He's wasted his talents scoring Sarah's stereotypical crime show, instead of working on the vampire puppet opera that showcases his quirky sense of humor. Segel, who wrote the script, is as appealing here as he is on his own TV show, How I Met Your Mother. He has an ear for dialogue and manages to convey the complexity of relationships. And he's supported by a winning cast (his chemistry with Kunis is particularly fantastic) -- the most memorable are Brand, who's simply perfect as Snow, and Paul Rudd, who plays a surfing guru who's taken one toke too many.

But no matter how much you root for Peter, something's missing from this Judd Apatow-produced film when it comes to genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Chuckles, yes, but belly laughs? Not so much. That's because the scenes feel curiously un-punchy; it's as if we've heard these jokes before. Even the much-talked-about naked scene is a letdown (no lewd pun intended). It's just not as funny as it could be. That may be because director Nicholas Stoller allows the movie to meander from one mishap to the next without differentiating peaks from valleys.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the filmmakers deal with the fine line between being crude and being funny. Which side do they fall on more often? Who decides where that line falls to begin with?

  • Families can also discuss why breakups are popular fodder for movies. Where's the humor in the end of a relationship? Why do you think Sarah breaks up with Peter to begin with? Was his reaction surprising or understandable?

  • How does the movie use various forms of exaggeration to heighten comedic moments? What are some other examples of movies that derive a lot of humor from exaggeration?

Movie Details

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