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Sunday, July 27, 2025

'I Love You, Man' Has Something for Everyone

'I Love You, Man' Has Something for Everyone

It's difficult enough to start a relationship with a girl, but how exactly does a guy go about searching for male friends? "I Love You, Man," from director John Hamburg, ("Meet the Parents") explores just that question, with plenty of laughs along the way.

Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) has been a ladies man all his life, so he has no close male friends. This isn't really a problem until he decides to propose to his girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones, aka Karen from "The Office"). She has six bridesmaids picked out, but he has no one to stand with him on the big day. Aided by his mom, gay brother and fiancée, Peter embarks on a search for his best man.

After a series of "man dates" involving projectile vomit and one very awkward kiss. After several of these dates, Peter meets Sydney (Jason Segal) at an open house to sell Lou Ferrigno's house, and the two make an instant connection. But, Peter finds that making male friends comes with the same questions as any other relationship. Is it OK to be the first one to call? How long should you wait before calling? After several unsuccessful attempts, Peter finally calls Sydney and the two hit it off, spending moiré and more time together, rocking out in Sydney's man cave, getting drunk or walking Sydney's dog and refusing to clean up after it, all with comedic results.

Peter decides to ask Sydney to be his best man, but it can't be that easy. Zooey is jealous of how much time Peter and Sydney spend together, leading to a rift in their relationship, and to the one between Peter and Sydney.

By now you can probably guess how the movie ends. Just looking at the actors, it is pretty obvious what will happen. Rudd and Segal also appeared together in "Knocked Up" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and this movie follows the same basic model: lots of comedy, mixed with some drama and romance, and always with a happy ending. Despite this being another cookie-cutter comedy, it's still a decent movie. There is still enough fresh material to keep you laughing throughout. The movie drags along at times, especially near the end where the focus is more on the romantic aspect and Peter and Sydney trying to repair their relationship rather than the comedic aspect. But everything comes together nicely in the end when Peter and Zooey tie the knot with an extremely odd collection of groomsmen, and of course Sydney, by their side.

Rudd and Segal both give strong performances, but it's really Rudd who steals the show. From the conversation Zooey has in the car with her girlfriends to Peter's attempts to give Sydney a nickname to his first foray into the man cave and what he sees there, Rudd is great in every awkward situation, reminiscent of Steve Carell's performance in "The Forty Year Old Virgin."

It's also a great date movie. I actually went because my girlfriend wanted to see the movie, and it had something for both of us. There is the male-driven comedy about bodily functions and how guys interact with each other to keep us interested. Then you have the bro-mance, proposal and wedding that will make your girlfriend say "Aww" and snuggle up against your arm.

So whether it's with a group of guy friends or your significant other, "I Love You, Man" is definitely worth a watch. Plenty of awkward situations and disgusting moments for the guys and the girly crap for the ladies of the group. Final grade: A-