Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is a surprisingly fun and charming film that exposes what can happen to a married couple who has lost that spark over the years.
Actor Steve Carell plays the lead male role (Cal Weaver), who is married to actress Julianne Moore’s character (Emily Weaver).
The movie started out very pleasant and simple. Music was calm, as if you were listening to some Michael Buble music.
At first, it seemed that Cal Weaver was living the dream life with his beautiful wife, Emily, and two kids until his wife dropped a double-whammy bomb on him.
As they were looking at their menus at a fancy restaurant, he asks her what she was going to order. She replied by saying, “I don’t know what I want.”
Then, as he continued to get a more confident choice out of her, she muttered out loud, “I want a divorce.”
In the next scene, she is driving and he is on the passenger side still in shock, and to make his pain double, she tells him she had cheated on him with David Linghagen (Kevin Bacon), the accountant at her workplace.
Can you imagine his pain at that moment?
Well, to emphasize the fact that he couldn’t handle any more surprises, the film goes on with Emily driving their car and then suddenly he opens the car door and jumps out, causing his limp body to roll a few times.
Emily, in a panic, reverses the car to get to him, and as she helps him up, Cal begs her to stop talking about it. The drive home is silent, and you can definitely cut the tension in the air with a knife.
When they get home, they find their 17-year-old babysitter, Jessica (played by Analeigh Tipton), in the living room with their 13-year-old son Robbie (Jonah Bobo), who also just got out of their own uncomfortable situation.
Earlier, Jessica went to check on Robbie in his room, and, well, found him exploring his young manhood.
Before the Weavers come home, the film shows embarrassed Robbie trying to explain to Jessica in the living room how sorry he was that she had to walk into his experiment, and that if it counts for anything, he told her that he thinks of her as he does it.
Now, as the married couple begins to separate, the feeling of the movie becomes bittersweet.
You begin to watch Cal Weaver get lost in the new world of dating. After being married to his high school sweetheart for more than 20 years, Cal needs a full-body, mind-soul makeover.
To help him get his manhood and swagger back and get back into the dating scene, actor Ryan Gosling’s character, Jacob Palmer (a true ladies’ man), takes him under his wing.
Jacob takes him to the mall to get some updated gear and to bring his confidence back. Cal slowly regains his player card as he watches Ryan’s every move in the clubs.
I don’t want to give away the whole movie, but I must say it gets interesting. I personally could relate to the story and appreciate it for what it is. I can see other Kaua‘i divorced couples or married ones enjoying it, too.
The writer of this film (Dan Fogelman) must love surprises, because there is a new surprise around every corner, from the beginning to the end of the story.
Dan Fogelman also wrote the Disney movie “Tangled,” one of my kids’ favorite Disney movies.
Even though it is such a sad thing to see couples go through a divorce, the directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa did a great job painting a vivid picture of both sides of the divorcing couple.
You have Cal Weaver, the faithful yet boring and outdated husband, who realizes after trying to move on with many dates and with different women that he can’t move on and just has to fight for his one true love, Emily.
And even though Emily cheated, which should be frowned upon, the film displayed her honest emotions and her reasons for straying away.
An insight that brings awareness to the audience, and can very well bring two people out of love, back into it.
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” is a great way to spend an hour and 47 minutes of your life, entertained and enlightened.
