I Love You, Man
age 17+
Male bonding comedy is very crude -- but good-hearted.
- Rated: R
- Genre: Comedy
- Release Year: 2009
- Running Time: 110 minutes
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
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.
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Kids say
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?
QUALITY
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.
Families can talk about...
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?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | March 20, 2009 |
| DVD/Streaming release date: | August 11, 2009 |
| Cast: | Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones |
| Director: | John Hamburg |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 110 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | pervasive language, including crude and sexual references |
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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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
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
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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.
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
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