Hellobee

I’m talking about comedies that are about families, that also happen to be hilarious and most definitely not family-friendly. One of my favorite ways to relax is to watch one of those goofy, slightly raunchy comedies that are serious and lighthearted at the same time. Here are my all-time favorite recommendations along with my personal synopsis and best lines:

I Love You, Man
Director – John Hamburg
Starring – Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones

I love this movie so much. It’s the kind I can watch over and over. I actually relate much more to the husband in this movie than the wife because I’ve always connected more easily with guys than with other women and I’m likely to be asking more women out on mom dates in the future for sure.

Favorite Lines:

Sydney Fife: You get home safe, Pistol.
Peter Klaven: You got it, Joben.
Sydney Fife: I’m sorry, what?
Peter Klaven: Er… nothing.
Sydney Fife: No, what did you say?
Peter Klaven: Nah, I don’t know… You nicknamed me Pistol, and I just called you… “Joben”… It means nothing… I don’t… I’m drunk… I’m gonna call a cab.

This is 40
Director – Judd Apatow
Starring – Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann

A painful comedy, two extraneous characters from Knocked Up are the focus of this one. I like it because it’s hard but funny. Since I’m not in this phase of child raising yet, it’s a good warning to keep checking in with my husband and making sure we’re on the same track and that it’s a track we want to be on, otherwise we’ll have to do even harder work later.

Favorite Lines:

Debbie: “We’re going to blink and be 90. We have to make a choice to do things different. I’ve made a list. It’s the do better list. We’re 40 years old, if we don’t do something now, when are we going to do it? Your eyes are kind of glazing over.”

Pete: “No, I’m just processing it all.”

Debbie: “We have to exercise everyday. We have to get more involved in school. We have to have more patience with the kids. We’re in it together, we’re a team. We have to get happy!”

While We’re Young
Director – Noah Baumbach
Starring – Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver

Great storytelling. Chiang Mai is full of travelers in their early 20’s and I find myself hanging out feeling like the old person wondering if I’m still cool – and when I decide to go home early to hang out with my baby, I know I’m not! But this film I loved, I found it very smart, and as a documentary filmmaker myself, it had some great commentary on authenticity vs. storytelling techniques.

Favorite Lines:

Josh: Let’s have kids.

Cornelia: I don’t want this to be ‘Every time you take a hallucinogen you want to have a baby’.

Josh: Not every time.

Fletcher: Before you have a kid, everyone tells you, “It’s the best thing you’ll ever do.” And as soon as you get the baby back from the hospital, those same people are like, “Don’t worry, it gets better.” (I love that both of these things can be true simultaneously!)

Neighbors 1 and 2

Director – Nicholas Stoller
Starring – Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron

These movies (both of them!) were hilarious. In the first one I loved relating to the couple next door trying to control their lives and circumstances and going down the funnel of bad decision making. I would say Neighbors 2 was just as good – a great feat for a sequel! I loved all sides – the feminist frat girls, the washed up frat boy, and the young parents trying to hold it all together. All the characters from the first one have grown a little and they still manage to create lots of chaos.

Neighbors 1

Kelly: “Call the cops!”

Mac: “And them we’ll seem so lame.”

Kelly: “Do it anonymously.”

Mac: “That’s a good idea. They do our dirty work for us…. Oh no, he sold us out!”

Police Officer: “You called about your neighbors?”

Mac: “No.”

Police Officer: “We have caller ID. We’re cops. Everybody has caller ID.”

Neighbors 2

Teddy Sanders: They don’t understand that there’s no I in sorority.

Mac Radner: There’s two actually.

Kelly Radner: There’s actually there’s just one.

Teddy Sanders: No, that’s a Y.

Mac Radner: No, in the middle.

Teddy Sanders: That’s an O.

Kelly Radner: S-O-R-O-R-I-T-I-T-Y.

Teddy Sanders: Sorori-tity?

Kelly Radner: That’s how you spell it.

Mac Radner: You think the tity is silent?

Crazy Stupid Love
Director – Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Starring – Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore

Fantastic characters. Sweet and sad and genuine-feeling all at once and I love how the stories are all woven together.

Favorite Lines:

Emily: When I told you when I had to work late? I really went to go see the new Twilight movie by myself, and it was so bad.

The 5 Year Engagement
Director – Nicholas Stoller
Starring – Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt

An all-time favorite movie of mine. It’s long (as is the engagement) but so very charming. Points for Jason Segal in a bunny suit. But let’s skip right to my very favorite scene:

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo used for the conversation because her daughter is asking for it] Elmo thinks you should do what you feel is right.

Violet Barnes: Well, I don’t really know what I think is right. I think just, time will tell.

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo] Elmo thinks time will tell.

Violet Barnes: Could you mind not doing that because you’re repeating what I’m saying.

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo] Elmo thinks you should shit or get off the pot.

Violet Barnes: [Impression of Cookie Monster] But me think that’s a really rude thing to say, Elmo.

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo] But Elmo says it’s been almost five years! Almost five years! You either love him or you don’t!

Violet Barnes: [Impression of Cookie Monster] Me love him but it’s very complicated. Cookie doesn’t get everything handed to him on a silver platter like Elmo.

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo] Cookie does a career he wanted. Tom moved to Michigan so Cookie could work okay? Elmo wanted to be a kinesiologist but instead, Elmo is cleaning puke off her shirt every day!

Violet Barnes: [Impression of Cookie Monster] Well maybe as nice as little elmos are, Elmo should have considered using protection! C is for condom! That’s good enough for me!

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo] Elmo is very happy with Elmo’s little elmos okay? Elmo would just like a break! Once in a while! Elmo never gets a break!

Violet Barnes: [Impression of Cookie Monster] Fine! This is fine! But this is precisely why Cookie wants to take the time to consider if he’s picked the right cookie for his life!

Suzie Barnes-Eilhauer: [Impression of Elmo] Well maybe Elmo thinks there is no right cookie, you just pick one and take a bite!

.  .  .  .  .

Then the following are all next on my list for sometime when I have a night to myself – this should take me a few years!

• Bad Moms
• The Night Before
• The Overnight
• I Give it a Year
• Friends with Kids
• This is Where I Leave You
• Change Up
  

Based on this list, what am I missing out on?