More than one person had told my wife that this was a great movie, so we watched it. It also ties more closely into our lives, since we've just moved to Michigan, where my wife will be a grad student.
I never have high hopes for romantic comedies. The format tends to lean toward stories that have no greater meaning other than making the audience feel good to see the couple work things out. This is a peculiar movie in that regard, because it has such mixed messages that it seems more nuanced than romances usually are.
On the other hand, this movie is completely packed with 'wacky.' I don't mind wacky too much, but it's a dangerous area to work in. Some of it can be hilarious, but it usually relies on not developing characters, and keeping them in their wacky traits to the exclusion of building a real character. The quality of these characters is entirely dependent on how much you like their schtick. Most of them play out fine, but there are just too many of them.
Normally, the main characters in romantic comedies are the most boring. They aren't too wacky, since we want the audience to identify with them. In this movie, Jason Segel's character transitions to being a wacky character. This is one of the most pleasing arcs in the movie.
So, I found myself much more conflicted about this movie. It's mostly an enjoyable picture. But it could have been really solidly great. The mixed messages about commitment, marriage, finding the 'right person' are all interesting, but somehow, there's just too much material here. For a movie that is about two hours long, it could have been trimmed down, and that may have helped it.
On a side note, I like Jason Segel. Since seeing his part in Freaks and Geeks, I've identified with him.
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