I Love You Man
April 17th 2009
When a movie surprises me, I walk out of the theater with a smile on my face and a swing in my step. I Love You Man far exceeded my very low expectations. My husband wanted to see the movie because one of his favorite bands Rush plays a concert in the film. I agreed to go along because I’ve liked Paul Rudd ever since Clueless. However, I didn’t think a movie titled I Love You Man would be any good. Well, I was wrong.
In a story about straight-male friendships, Paul Rudd’s character Peter realizes after becoming engaged that he doesn’t have any male friends to be his groomsmen. He’s not even that close to his father or his gay brother (played by Andy Samberg). So Peter begins a quest to find friends using his family, his fiance, and the Internet, but his attempts to form new relationships meet with disastrous albeit funny results. Of course, when Peter stops looking, he meets Jason Segel’s character Sydney — a real man’s man whose bluntness turns off many people.
I couldn’t stop laughing as I watched Sydney and Peter sing Rush songs in the “man cave” (i.e., no women allowed). Sydney is a firm believer in having fun, and he is also brutally honest, which forces Peter to open up about himself, his relationship, and his dreams. Their newfound friendship feels real, and even when it is tested, it survives. This onscreen, make-believe, male friendship made me wonder about my friends …
- Why do I have more male than female friends?
- Is it because I’ve always been competitive and aggressive — traits normally associated with men?
- Is it because I am (according to my father) too blunt?
- Regarding friendships, how do men differ from women?
- Why do I like having male (gay or straight) friends?
- Can a straight woman and a straight man be friends?
I’m going to ponder these questions … look for my next blog titled I love you man — part deux
AWW — XoXo
