Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

Hello, returning Happys and new listeners. This is Steve

bennet-Martin. And this is Stephen Martin-Bennet, and welcome to a

lifetime of happiness. The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy while hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way. And we're

spending the month of February falling in love all over again as we discuss them of our favorite romantic comedies, continuing with crazy, stupid love.

And before we ask ourselves, is love crazy? Is love stupid? What's been making you happy? My love.

So it's no secret to anyone that listens to our podcast that we enjoy all things Marvel. Marvel what? Comics or Marvel movies. Oh yeah, those are okay. Marvel TV shows. Yeah. So last weekend an man in the WASP quantum mania opened and we went to go see it and I really, really enjoyed it and I especially enjoy. Michelle Pfeiffer having a much larger role. Yes.

It was a very fun ride. I don't, I wouldn't say it's gonna be in my top five mc movies. Oh God. But it definitely is a solid one that was worth the price of

admission. Yes. And it's definitely set it like, you know, with the first season of Loki we got to see Kang or a Kang Yeah. And now with this one we got to see more and it's really starting to set us. As Kang being the Thanos level threat for the fourth, fifth, and sixth phases of the M C U. Well, sounds good. What's been making you happy, my darling?

The circle on Netflix. Oh my God. One of our favorite social media competition.

Oh, it's so much fun. It's so

ridiculous. And the New season's all done. Now we're a couple episodes away from the end. I'm hashtag Team

Raven. I'm hashtag team Raven. I'm also want to be friends with Sam. Yes. I'm still dislike Brett. Or whatever his name was. Yeah. From Big Brother. It makes me not like, if Zhi was doing Jennifer on her own be

fine, but because Brett's there, you hate

Yeah. I'm like, please send Jennifer home. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I also like Chaz. Mm-hmm. So like, those are my top three.

Excellent. Mm-hmm. and you know who else you love.

This movie? Yes, I do. So I went and saw this when it first came out and I fell in love with it immediately because, you know, it's ironic with itself. It presents and developed characters beautifully. It's got a great plot twist. It doesn't follow a usual romcom narrative. The chemistry between the stars is phenomenal. The acting just ups the entire film. it feels deeper than a usual romcom where it could almost just be a drama. That's funny. Yes. I I, it might be a dramedy.

think. Yes. This was my first time seeing it for this podcast. Yes. And I do generally love my romcoms a little lighter. Yeah. And a little more comedic. So I definitely think that there's an argument to be had that this is more of a romantic. Dramedy, maybe

a romantic comedy. Yes.

But the funny moments were funny and the acting was, well, I mean the, a couple of these actors I think I've seen once or twice

I mean, So before we get into the details of, well, actually, let's do the details of the movie, then we'll get to the

cast. Sure. It was released on July 19th, 2011. It's a romantic comedy drama directed by Glen Fakara and John Requa and written by Dan Fogelman. And none of those names mean anything to me, Dan

Fogelman does, but that's okay. Okay, cool. What does he do? He, he's written other things that you enjoyed. Okay.

I like him. It had a budget of 50 million in a box office of 145 million. So quite the success.

Yes, it stars Steve Corll, Ryan Gosling, Julian Moore, Emma Stone, Marissa Tome, and Kevin Bacon.

Yes. Steve Corll hated the idea. Hated the title of the film being Crazy, stupid Love. He Preferred Wingman during beginning filming. The movie was titled.

Untitled, marital crisis

comedy. Interesting. And the directors offered anyone a free iPad if they could come up with a title for the film. Yeah.

And so I don't know how they set it on crazy, stupid Love. I would've really disliked Wingman because I think that it's

about more than just that one storyline. Exactly. Yes, I am. DB describes the movie as a middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a. He seeks to rediscover his manhood with the help of a newfound friend, learning to pick up girls at

bars. Okay. So yeah, that is part of it, and that's kind of like the wingman part of it, but I feel it glosses over the depth and the real human emotions that come into play there between the kids and the other storylines in the movie. Well then, like I say, fail, I am db.

Yes. Well, why don't we talk about it some more then in more depth. Okay. That sounds great. All right. You first.

Out to dinner, we meet Cal Weaver. He's a middle-aged man whose wife Emily asked for divorce after she reveals an affair she had with her coworker David Lind Hogan. We'll

hear his name once or twice.

Lind Hogan on the car ride. Home call is silent while Emily asks him for him to say something. She keeps talking and she's spiraling and he jumps out of the moving car so he doesn't have to listen any longer. He agrees to leave that night and sign whatever she wants as long as she will stop talking about the affair.

Yes. And apparently the movie's based on the screenwriter's life as a single man in his thirties and was written with Steve Corll in mind as the

lead. I can, I mean, it definitely seems written for him. Yes. Now there's some gr this movie has a lot of great quotes in it. Yes.

How about we say what we want on three? 1, 2, 3. I wanted horse. Oh, that, yeah. Wouldn't go as well, I would think. Did you ever have a situation where you let something huge slip out sooner than anticipated, or in a way you didn't intend for it?

Oh, yes. With some exes where, like, what movie did you wanna see tonight? I think we should talk Yeah. That, that sort of thing that kind of just happened. What about you?

Not, not anything huge like that. I, that would be really uncomfortable. So, no I know I definitely have blurted secrets back in the day, like especially when I was younger, but nothing that was huge or life changing like this.

Were you ever in love with a babysitter or a friend's parent?

I was head over heels in love with Bridget and her sister, whose name I can't remember so clearly. It was very long lasting with my two good female babysitters growing up. I would, I never went as far so far as to declare that I was in love with them. Mm-hmm. but, and it was more like when I was like younger, like I was like seven to 10, but I was just like obsessed with them and like, I love them.

There was a friend of Barry's, her name was Jessica Jones, and Oh yeah, I just realized like the comic book, like the common character. Okay, cool. And she had the great red hair and she and Barry had a closeness slash flirtation. A while and, but I always just was like, I'd, I think I shouldn't be the one that ends up with Jessica. Mm-hmm. like that's what I always

thought. Yeah. I never really had a friend's parent thing. I mean, Yeah, I was gonna say, I remember having friends that were like, oh, so-and-so's mom's so hot. But like, no. No. And not really. I feel like there was slang skills there that it's not like you really had Hollywood moms right. With me growing up

Yeah. Or in the middle of West

Virginia. Yeah. And no. Other daddies I'd want to call daddy.

No, that, yeah. That was not a, a thing when

I was younger. Yes. Now Hannah is out to an upscale restaurant and bar with her bff Liz Jacob sees her from across the bar and strides over to make his move. He's a womanizer. Who beds different women each night, obviously. Mm-hmm. He's got charming. but Hannah's not falling for it at all. You can tell Jacob doesn't get told no very often.

Yeah. And now this is the first time we see Hannah and Liz, but Liz immediately steals the scene, which is hard to do with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

Yes. But she does a great job. I fell in love with her back in the day that Dollhouse stays. Yeah. And I was wondering, watching this, first of all, like when does behavior like Jacobs go from confident and flirtatious to inappropriate?

Cuz she said no. She said no, but he never forced her to do anything. He kept trying. He didn't, you know, put anything in her drink. He didn't force her to have a drink. He was persistent. I. I, I haven't seen anything in this movie where Jacob was inappropriate. I don't think so.

Now, do you think that part of that bar shifts because Jacob

is ran Gosling? No, because I think whoever it was, I would've been looking for consent and things like that. Like he always gets consent. with all the women. Like that's never, he never forces them to do anything. Yeah. They all say yes.

He never forces it like the, the final thing. But he might, he forces the conversation to get to the final thing at some points. Yeah, that's true. So I just was wondering whether he would be as successful if he didn't look like Ryan Gosling and if it was just average Joe on the street, if that kind of behavior would be seen as more gross and inappropriate.

So then it's also, would an average Joe on the street have that sort of self-confidence?

I think everyone should have that

level of self-confidence. Oh gosh, I don't, I think that's a little too much self-confidence.

All right, well I'm striving towards it, So, while we're there Emily tries to have an honest conversation with Cal as he's moving out, but it's too soon and he's too hurt and he's not ready to. At work, David Lynn Hogan tells Emily he wants to be with her. She tries pushing him away After moving into his own apartment, Cal begins frequenting an upscale bar, getting drunk. Talk loudly about his divorce and using the word cuck.

So Bernie cow's friend isn't allowed to be friends with Cal anymore. Have you ever had to choose between couple friends after a breakup or divorce, or have you ever gotten friends as part of the breakup? Like they chose you after you broke up with someone? No, it's always

been very clear. Like there was basically like with my close-knit group of friends growing up, like we had like basically each other in our prenuptial agreements that like we would retain possession of the friendship after any relationship they were introduced to. So I mean like, and then. Most of the, like my past boyfriend's friends, like I didn't want to be friends with so I didn't wanna win

them So my first boyfriend in Cincinnati, his roommate and close friend was Brady. Mm-hmm And in the breakup I got Brady

Well that seems like a very

good win. It was definitely a good win. And cuz Brady and I bonded immediately, but it was one of those things like I never expected. Like, I was like, oh, he's gonna be friends with Jason afterwards. Nope. Brady chose

me. Yeah. And I found it odd that at work everyone is relieved and laughs when they find out call is just getting divorced because thank God it's not cancer. And just do you feel like our culture has shifted to trivialized divorce?

So in this, I think there's two things. Like they all heard him crying in the bathroom. Mm-hmm. and they all thought he was dying of cancer. So when then they hear that it's just a divorce and while a divorce is bad, they're all relieved that he's going to live. Because getting divorced is better than dying. Well,

yes, I mean that's obviously true, but it's also just if I hear someone going crying in the bathroom, it could have been a million different things that could have happened. So you don't need to jump to cancer.

Yeah. But. We also have watched multiple seasons of a show that trivializes divorce, well, there you go. Married at first sight, makes divorce as if a breakup. So I think the moment that we've had 16 seasons of a show, Where you're married at first sight, trivializes, marriage and divorce, all in and of itself. You like it? I do like it, but I do think it trivializes marriage and divorce.

Well, that's a downer.

You didn't think your question was going there, did you?

I didn't like that. No. No. Jacob criticizes Cal for sipping a drink through a straw in the bar and that. You of the similar

imagery to Katherine Hahn and how to lose the guy in 10 days when she did, and both films use. Sipping a drink through a straw at a bar to show awkward awkwardness and not fitting in. And it's just kind of funny that both films were right back to back. And now I start thinking, I was going back and I was like, oh no, I drank martinis. There's no straw involved

with that. Yeah. Now, have you ever, like with Jacob helping Cal, like I generally like have to believe that it's genuine, first of all. Like, do you agree? Mm-hmm. like have you ever gone to that level of dedication? See someone unfortunate and try and make them fortunate,

not not a random person. Mm-hmm. but I stole that line from how I met your mother. And I would go, have you met Brady? Yes. And I would always try to hook up like my friend Jane and Brady and things. It never a

stranger. Yeah. I can't imagine doing that. So it's just cause you

don't like random people.

I don't know if I found like, I don't know. It's different now in recovery. If it was like a fellow alcoholic, I might help them, but not if they're so not, if they're not a drunk

So Cal meets Jacob who's looking effortlessly cool while eating a piece of pizza and I'm. How can you look cool eating a giant slice of pizza, but Ryan Gosling did. Yes. And they're at the mall for a full makeover shopping trip with a lot of slaps to the face from Cal, from Jacob to Cal and Cal watches Jacob take home a different woman every night for over two weeks, and none of the lessons seem to be taking, but it turns out that Jacob had actually Mr. Miyagi Cal.

Yes. And he does such a horrible job with Jacob's technique. Even highlighting Kate's alcoholism in that he's afraid sh she may have aids, which I thought was horrible.

Yeah, like while what he's saying is horrendous, she was turned on by his honesty. Has brutal honesty ever gotten you a a sure thing? I,

it got me this shirt thing. The very first night we talked. I gave you every reason why in the world you shouldn't be interested in. And why I was not available. And you were like, Nope, you're good. Sign me up, That's how I remember it Anyway.

I didn't think it was the first night, but it might have been. It was quite early. At least. It was quite early. Yes. But I have not Back in my bar going mm-hmm. taking people home days. It was not about brutal honesty. Aloof worked very well for me. Yes, I'm

sure. And Gosling has no experience picking up women in bars cuz why need to pick up women when they will just come to you because you're Ryan Gosling. Yeah. And so he had to read books on how to do it. Did you, were you ever the type of guy to pick someone up at a bar or were you the one who got picked up? Both. I was always the one getting picked. I would not approach someone cuz I was too insecure. Yeah.

I like, if I saw something I wanted, I would go

after it. Yeah. Never glad you went after me.

I also love during the makeover montage how Jacob is personally offended by cow's Velcro wallet. Like the first, wouldn't you be Oh yeah. But the first time, Cal. Un Velcro's the wallet. Ryan Gosling leans back with a kind of look. Yeah, it's fantastic.

Yes. And that has another good quote.

Oh, are you the billionaire owner of Apple computers? No. In that case, you've got no right to wear New Balance sneakers ever, because like Cal wore them everywhere. Yeah. To the bar to work everywhere. There are places where sneakers are not supposed to be there. If you are biking, walking, exercising, where your new balance, if you're going out to a nice restaurant or a nice bar, no. Nope.

But I like wearing fluff flops to some places. Well that's cuz we're in Florida. Yes. I like that. Now let's talk about how many women you've been. Sexually, no. I mean, break dance, fighting Just again, very like the, while the, this isn't like a comedy, comedy, comedy, it does have its moments. Yes. Now Robbie goes on the offensive against David Ling, Lin Hogan and, and tells his mom that he thinks his dad is sad and he knows she is two.

everyone. So what are your thoughts on the Robby Jessica Cal storyline?

I can relate on having crushes on people older than me when I was like still a kid and not taking me seriously. But it also, they shouldn't have been taking me seriously because I was a stupid kid. But I thought that that was cute. I, I never got the whole like having a crush on like a parent's friend, like, or a friend's parent. But I mean,

do you think that the nude photo part of the storyline went too far?

I don't think it went too far. I mean, it got us to where it needed to be at the end. Yeah. I'm glad that they didn't show it because even though I'm sure she was of age, she is like, she was playing someone underage, so I am glad that they left it to your imagination. So I think that they handled it well. I

love when Robbie's talking to his mom and he is like, I heard you crying in your room. And he goes, I, I was trying, I wasn't sure what to do. So I Googled it and his mom's like, what did Google say? And he says, well, when I Googled mom's crying in bed, it showed a lot of videos. She goes, Nope. He goes, do parental filters, not work

And he was like, they work just fine with me. And I'm,

I just, I actually, I meant to actually Google mom's crying in bed.

I just did, it wasn't triple X right away, but I'm sure it would get there. Yeah. now to keep David Lynn Hogan from helping with things around the house. Cal sneaks over in the middle of the night to do gardening and yard. Eventually call and Emily reunite at their 13 year old son Robbie's parent teacher conference where Emily is impressed by Cal's newfound confidence and fitted close. He admits he misses her.

So there's a couple really good quotes here. Cal was talking to Emily and says, I'm so mad at you. I'm really mad at you for what you did, but I'm mad at myself too, because I should not have jumped out of that. I should have fought for you because you fight for your soulmates. which is true. I

would fight for you.

Robbie is asked for his

thoughts on the Scarlet Letter. You wanna talk about The Scarlet Letter and Mrs. Cafferty? Alright, well, the Abe, the, they're both wearing, I think it stands for Asshole. Wanna Know Why? Because they fell in love. And Love is for stupid assholes, and this book is just about a bunch of assholes who fall in love like assholes then had to die like. I'm sorry about all the assholes,

and then we talked about Cal Deny and lying about how he knows Kate, which prompts Kate to go all teacher. As you know, Robby's shining moment this year was when he is at a school record for cursing in an eighth grade English class asshole. You're familiar with that word, Mrs. Weaver? Asshole. As in someone who tells a woman he'll call and never. Asshole as in someone who uses honesty to get a woman into bed with him, but is actually full of shit like the rest of them.

This is not about Robby. This is not about Robby. Are we supposed to be rooting for call and Emily to reunite though at this point? Do you think they're

soulmates? Two different questions. I don't think we're supposed to be rooting for them to reunite just yet. Cal has not done the work necessary to earn her back. Do I think that they're soulmates? Yes, I do. Especially from that conversation when he just said, I should have stayed in the car and fought for you. Because you fight for your soulmates. I do think so. But I don't think we're supposed to be rooting for them just. Okay. What about you? What did you think?

I don't know whether I buy it all together and that he necessarily has to earn her back cuz I feel like she was the one, rather than having this conversation with him about what the problems and the relationship were, took it outside of the marriage, have an extra marital affair and it seems like this is all about what he needs to do to win her back and be the man that she wants so that she doesn't stray again,

which is very true. And. I, I think, I think it, so the movie was originally three hours long. Mm-hmm. and the studio made them cut an hour

off of it. I think that's okay.

I wonder if there was some. Emily taking accountability or Emily working on herself, storylines that got cut because it does seem like Julian Moore has a smaller part than you would normally think Julian Moore would have.

We'll see. Talking about people who, with smaller parts than you think they normally would have. Hannah, a recent law school graduate now is offended by her boyfriend Richard, as he offers her a position as a permanent lawyer at his firm. Instead of proposing to her, she returns to the bar where she originally rejected Jacob's Advances, finds him, kisses him, and asks if he still wants to take her home. Jacob takes her back to his luxurious home where he begins his usual set of moves.

So this was Josh Gruben's first big movie role. And I remember watching it and thinking, oh God, that's Josh Groen. Who knew he was funny. Like as the boyfriend Richard, I never would've like, oh,

I would've never have gotten that. Yeah. Yeah. That's Josh Groen It's okay. He's funny in like a weird smarmy way. Yeah.

Yes. So the other quote there that was in the previews. Yeah. Is he, she goes, will you take off your shirt? And he. and she's Seriously, it's like you're Photoshopped.

Yeah. And the big move that works every time. Tell us

about it. So it's the dirty dancing lift. Yes. So while rehearsing for the scene where Ryan lifts Emma in the air dirty dancing style Emma didn't realize that she had a fear of being lifted high up until Ryan did it for the first time. And she had a full on meltdown, which Gosling described it as a possum falling out of a tree and trying to scratch your eyes out. And the fear stems from when she was seven and fell off the high bars during gymnastics practice and broke both arms. sorry, continue.

Oh, there you go. And the lift wasn't in the script apparently.

No. Gosling who used to do ballet, had the idea for it, and so they went with it.

Do you think that was the right move? Would that move work for you? Absolutely. Oh yeah. I

would be drenched. Yeah. If somebody was like, yeah, come run at me and I will lift you. Like baby and dirty dancing, I'd be like, yes, sign me

up right now. Yeah, you'd come home and I'd be like, no, it's okay baby. You have a pass for that. They did the lift.

Yeah. So the scene of them laying in bed and talking was completely improvised and I love that. For them, the filmmakers would just shout out scenarios to them and the two actors just made up stories and it's, it just seems so genuine and honest and, heartfelt that you buy this chemistry between them and that scene is so

important. Yeah. I mean, have you ever went into a, a night looking for a one night stand where it turned in to be something more like this? Yep. Multiple times. Yes. This is my college relationship. A year and a half was supposed to just be one night

So Cal calls Jacob repeatedly after the debacle at parent teacher night, needing advice, and he's not seeing Jacob at the bar. Cal calls Emily, but she's on a date with David Lin Hogan. And when Emily and David come home, Jessica cock blocks them. I don't want your slutty money. Yes, and Emily calls Cal under the guise of needing help with the house's pilot.

Yes, this is gearing up to be

a shit show. In real life. Emma Stone and AnnaLeigh Tipton, who plays Jessica are only three days apart in age, but their characters are meant to be about 10 years apart. I'll

take it though, they do a good job at making AnnaLeigh look like very young and wavy.

So, AnnaLeigh came in third on America's Next Top Model, and during the early years of her modeling career, she was almost sold as a bride to a Saudi prince without her knowledge.

Aw, she could have been a princess. Just kidding, Just kidding.

We do not abide by this sex trade here on the Happy Life Podcast.

No, I hear it hardly ever works out. Yeah. Except that one time, no not

that

time either. Before Jessica can get there. During the gathering, Jacob and Hannah show up at the house and Hannah's revealed to be call and Emily's firstborn daughter to them right out of high school. A twist I did not see coming. Call's appalled that Jacob is dating his daughter and forbids her from seeing him. Bernie shows up and attacks Cal Jessica arrives and tells her father that Cal knew nothing about the pictures. he is disgusted at the pictures.

where all the problems seem insurmountable

and poor Robbie's heart is broken because his babysitters in love with his dad. Yep.

And so you didn't see the twist coming at all? I did not See, I remember when I saw it in the theaters, you had a good number of people go.

Yeah. It was a well done twist. Yeah. Where I don't feel like I was lied to either. It just was not talked about. Mm-hmm. which was fine. I know when I would left for college, my parents did their best to forget that I ever lived there for a little bit There

Now Jacob pushed his hand out to call her father. Robbie avoids his father. And Cal starts spending time at the bar again and finally receives a visit from Jacob who confesses that he's in love with Hannah and has begun to reevaluate his life as a result. Cal replies that he's happy that Jacob's a changed man, but that does not approve of Jacob and and Hannah's relationship because he's seen too much. He's seen Jacob's former life. Jacob resigns from it all without harboring any ill feelings.

father. Yes. And as much as the movie's about love and dating and marriage, one of the best relationships in this movie, I feel is between Jacob and Cal, they developed an honest friendship.

Now, if you were Hannah's father, would you want her with Jacob after you'd all you'd seen him

do after this conversation? Yes, I would have a less physical reaction, but still an adverse reaction to finding out. At, at the dinner or whatever, at the, the backyard, backyard thing. But after this conversation, I think that it'd be cool. But I also don't know what it's like to have a daughter.

No.

A puppy. I know. If Ryan Gosling wanted to date Remy, I would be okay with it. No. No. What if Remy to date Ryan

Gosling? We don't, we don't abide by bestiality in either direction.

It was not gonna be a sexual

relat. So we're just gonna let Ryan Gosling have time with Remy when we can't spend time with Remy. Yeah,

he can be the P puppy sitter

Okay. Ryan Gosling, if you're listening, you're welcome to come over and puppy sit for Remy. Yes.

Just don't let it get weird.

so darn. At Robbie's eighth grade graduation. Robbie is the salutatorian and gives a pessimistic speech about how it's all a scam, and he no longer believes in true love and soul. Cal stops him and instead begins to recount his courtship with Emily to the audience saying that while he does not know if things will work out, he will never give up on Emily with renewed faith, Robbie reaffirms his love for Jessica to the audience's applause.

Yes. And I love how Cal walked all the way back to avoid the empty chair next to Kate. I think that was a good decision. Yeah. As we see her later. Flip him

off. So the one of the quotes from that whole. I have loved her even when I hated her. Only married couples will understand that one. I don't know if it's gonna work out. I don't know what will happen, but I can promise you this. I will never stop trying because when you find the one, you never give up.

Very sweet. Then after the ceremony, Cal gives Jacob and Hannah his blessing and smack. This is gonna be fun. Jessica gives Robbie an envelope containing the nude photo of herself that was originally intended for Cal to get him through high school call and Emily have a laugh talking about the events that have transpired the past year and watching them from afar. Ravi smiles optimistically.

Emily saying, I'm so glad you bought me that ice cream.

Yes. Thoughts on it. Do you think that call and Emily get back together? I. And what do you think the future holds for Jacob and Hannah?

I actually have good feelings for Jacob and Hannah. I I What

about Robbie and the babysitter? No,

I think that Hannah is the right woman. I think Jacob probably could have continued in his. Whole womanizing thing. If he had never met someone like Hannah, that challenged him.

Yep. I like them for each other.

So I know this was not your favorite movie,

but you know who my favorite people are. Me and Remy Yes. And our listeners, oh, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie as well as this episode. We're an email away. Happy life pod gmail.com,

and you can get in touch with us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok at Happy Life Pod.

And until next time, everybody, stay happy. Stay.