I Love You, Man (R, 2009)

common sense media says

Male bonding comedy is very crude -- but good-hearted.


parents & educators say
  • 91% say language is an issue
  • 64% say sexual content is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this hard-R "bromantic" comedy starring Judd Apatow regulars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, is loaded with strong language ("f--k" is just the beginning), graphic discussions about sex, heavy drinking, and generally shameless bathroom humor. At the same time, it does portray relationships between men and between couples in a more realistic light than many other movies -- focusing on the need for respect and communication -- and ultimately has its heart in the right place.

Positive messages: Though the main characters behave in notably immature ways and there are plenty of suggestive/crude jokes, the movie also has positive messages about friendship, communication, and respect. A positively portrayed gay character uses language like "Dad's down with the gays" and "Dad's with the homos."
Positive role models: Characters are not meant to be role models. Although the characters grow up a bit and learn some lessons, there's no one you would want your kid to emulate.
Violence: Some scuffling for comedic purposes; a "sleeper hold" is applied. Comedic golfing injuries.
Sex: Extensive, crude, blunt discussion of sex, sexual practices (including oral sex, masturbation, and pornography), techniques, and more. A character talks about watching a video of a grandmother using a sexual aide; viewers don't see the footage but do hear about it at great length, in graphic language. In between the vulgar jokes, there's also some rational discussion of how couples communicate about sex, as well as some discussion of homosexuality and bisexuality.
Language: Extensive/frequent swearing and strong language, including "f--k," "f---ed," "goddamn," "dicks," "whore," "slut," "hell," "suck it," "b--w jobs," "suck," "balls," "crap," "oh my God," "buttocks," and many more.
Consumerism: Plenty of obvious product placement, including iPhones, Heineken beer, and Equinox Gyms. Other featured brands include HBO, Century 21 realty, Time magazine, Bennigans, Legoland, AMC, Pepperidge Farm, the L.A. Galaxy soccer team, and more. Also lots of mentions of TV shows and movies like Saturday Night Live, Chocolat, The Devil Wears Prada, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, Runaway Bride, Lost, The Incredible Hulk, and more. The band Rush is featured prominently.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Characters drink champagne, wine, beer, and hard liquor to excess and smoke cigargettes. Beer is drunk as part of a competitive game, with dire consequences. Marijuana smoking paraphernalia is seen.

More on I Love You, Man

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Familes can talk about whether the movie's message comes across amid the crude humor. Does the film's reliance on strong language and sex jokes undermine its themes and positive messages, or does it make those messages more likely to be seen by a broad audience?
  • Discuss the real question of male friendship. Do men, in general, lack the emotional vocabulary to form new friendships after a certain age? And what emotional needs does male friendship meet?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In I LOVE YOU, MAN, Peter (Paul Rudd) has proposed to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones); wedding preparations are underway when Peter realizes that he doesn't have a male best friend to ask to be his best man. So he embarks on a quest to make male friends, but his efforts are as ineffectual as they are strained. Then Peter meets relaxed free-spirit Sydney (Jason Segel), and it seems like he could be "the one." But Peter is going to find out that having a best friend isn't always easy.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Like similarly-toned comedies The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad, I Love You, Man, walks a fine line in depicting outlandish, vulgar behavior on the road to wisdom. While I Love You, Man may not walk that line as smoothly as those earlier films, it also has a grace of its own, specifically thanks to Rudd's underplayed scene-stealing performance as a man more than a little uncomfortable in his own life.

Segel is also fine as a slightly solipsistic slacker -- Sydney lives the way he wants to, which can make him both an inspiration and an irritation -- and the rest of the supporting cast, most notably Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressly's feuding, loving couple -- are excellent as well. Director John Hamburg also has the good judgment to simply let his cast rip in some of the funnier, zingier moments of dialogue. I Love You Man looks sour and slick, but it's surprisingly earnest and heartfelt once you get past its more outlandish excesses.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: John Hamburg
Cast: Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 110 minutes
Theatrical release: March 20, 2009
DVD release: August 11, 2009
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: pervasive language, including crude and sexual references
Watch our review

This review was written by James Rocchi
 
 

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What parents & educators say

15
Based on 11 parent & educator reviews:
  • 91% say language is an issue
  • 64% say sexual content is an issue
  • 45% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking

Most useful reviews by all members

Bloody Gorgeous
teen, 16 years old
 
Boring.....................
This movie was so BORING... Seriously, it looks way better in the trailers. A waste of my time and money. There were only about 2 funny moments. It really disappointing me cuz I would have rented Fast an Furious instead

 

bubbleboy
teen, 15 years old
 
Get ready to laugh
Hooray for Jason Segel and Paul Rudd! I went in to the movie with high hopes, and they were certainly met. Frankly, I loved it! It's a laugh-a-minute comedy that's actually smart, not giving in (at least very often) to lame, sophomoric humor. Paul Rudd is completely hilarious as an awkward guy who really hasn't had all that much male interaction, which puts him in quite the pickle when he discovers he doesn't have a best man for his recently planned wedding. That's where an equally hilarious performance from Jason Segel comes in, as he portrays a man that realtor Rudd meets in a very memorable sequence at Lou Ferrigno's open house that involves paninis and fart predictions. I really don't have much more to say about this beside the fact that it was hilarious, and that I will now be saying "Jahoben" for the rest of my natural life. Oh, actually there is something: the content. Not THAT bad considering the R-rating, but it's certainly laden with iffiness. There's no actual sex, per se, but plenty of dialogue and a fair amount of profanity.

Parent and Son ...
parent of 13 and 15 year old
 
Great movie but one for the mature ones
Since my child id very mature for his age, This wasnt a problem for y kid but other parents might be concerned about innapropriate language

stillconfused
teen, 15 years old
 
Surprisingly tame
For an R-rated comedy, this movie is actually extremely tame. The only thing you could possibly worry about is language and a tiny bit of sexual reference, but I don't really understand why a mature 13 year old can't handle it. Not to mention, it's hilarious!

hpkscooter
teen, 16 years old
 
I thought it was very funny but beware of some conversation topics. Obvious consumerism also played a part.

Squid Kid
kid, 13 years old
 
Too Many Bad Words!!! No One Should Watch This Junk!
Inappropriate! They say a ton of bad words like the F-bomb, sh*t, d**k, p*nis, b**ch, b*stard, and cusses like that. I think a guy once said "Suck my D**k!" out loud, which really means oral sex, which is super gross. Also, they say things like cr*p and d*mn, which are bad words but not as bad as the rest. There was also the BS-word, and I think c*ck and c**t were also in htere. And you wonder why teens cuss so much!

BestPicture1996
teen, 16 years old
 
Funny!
An absolute hilarious comedy with a simple plot but extraordinary acting.

 
Very funny movie for older teens and adults
This movie is hilarious! There is quite a bit of cursing and talking about sex but it is really funny. I would recommend it for older teens and adults.

dwiggit101
teen, 16 years old
 
This really wasn't that great of a movie. They just talked about sex and other nasty things that just shouldn't be mentioned...ever. The language is bad. There are some funny and jaw-dropping moments, but it's not really worth watching.

zackaback
teen, 17 years old
 

lmcconnell
parent of 18 and 19 year old
 
Very Disappointed
The language was horrible. The first 5 minutes they used the f-word more times than I could count. Why ruin a good movie with language like that.?

 
Good movie to watch with a best friend
i thought it was a very funny movie and it deffintly had some good messages, but there is also a lot of swearing and sexual jokes throughout the movie which may not be approproite for some. Some of the role models in it arent very good either espically Jason Segals chracter. But it deffintly had a good message to it about being a good friend and also why it is important to have them. I say it's ok for high schoolers just be warned about some of the language in the movie.

 
Overall a pretty good movie! For more mature teens.

 
Loved It!
Great fun movie---love Paul Rudd---some crude high school moments---but overall good film. Recommend for 16+ or a mature 15 year old.

LuvShadowsDolls
teen, 17 years old
 
Hilarious, perfect for Rush fans!
This movie is hysterical but also innapropriate at times. The plotline is good, the characters are nicely developed, and it has a good heart. Rush fans will be rolling on the floor when Peter and Sydney go to a concert (funniest part of the movie!)

 
i love it and i give it
i it because they show you how to love a friend

Mxoxpdancerr
teen, 16 years old
 
This movie is definitely not my kind of movie. It was filled with nonstop sexuality and it wasnt even funny. I definately dooo not recommend you to watch this if you under 16. It was horrible!

JohnDoe
adult
 

NikkiV
parent of and 3 , 5 , 14 , 18 year old
 
Not up to par
There is an incredible amount of really obvious product placement in the movie from Volkswagon to Apple's iPhone to Heiniken beer. This seemed like a movie with middle school jokes for a middle-aged audience. It was a comedy without any funny people. All the comedy comes from people being extremely awkward, and most of the humor is based on Paul Rudd saying nonsense. This was close to being a good movie, but instead of taking the time to make it something to be proud of they said, let's just get it out there and make money.

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