Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
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A man navigating the complexities of divorce and new romance finds his life intertwined with others in a series of interconnected love stories.
The story
After his wife Emily reveals she is having an affair and asks for a divorce, Cal Weaver is left reeling and separated from his best friend. While struggling to cope with the news, Cal begins frequenting an upscale bar where he meets Jacob, a young womanizer. Jacob takes pity on Cal and offers to teach him the art of seduction and how to charm women. As Cal begins to experiment with his new skills, his life becomes a complex web of overlapping romantic pursuits and unexpected connections, all while he tries to navigate the fallout of his broken marriage and the complexities of his family's lives.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Cal Weaver's life is upended when his wife, Emily, reveals an affair with David Lindhagen and asks for a divorce. This leads to a falling out with his best friend, Bernie. To cope, Cal begins frequenting a bar where he meets Jacob, a young womanizer who agrees to coach him on seduction. Cal successfully begins a series of trysts, including one with a woman named Kate. The plot thickens when Cal and Emily reunite at their son Robbie's school, where they discover Robbie's teacher is Kate. During a heated argument, Cal admits to his recent conquests, causing Emily to leave in disgust. Meanwhile, Robbie tries to win over his babysitter, Jessica, while Jessica's mother and Bernie believe Cal and Jessica are involved. Simultaneously, Jacob and a woman named Hannah, who is actually Cal's daughter, begin a relationship. The story culminates in a backyard gathering where the truth of the family connections is revealed. After a physical confrontation between the men, Cal and Emily reconcile while Robbie finds his own path. The film ends with Robbie giving a speech at his graduation, where Cal publicly declares his continued devotion to Emily.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Glenn Ficarra; John Requa
- Writers
- Dan Fogelman · writer
- Cast and characters
- Steve Carell · Cal; Ryan Gosling · Jacob; Julianne Moore · Emily; Emma Stone · Hannah; John Carroll Lynch · Bernie; Marisa Tomei · Kate; Kevin Bacon · David
- Genres
- romantic comedy
- Themes
- divorce; masculinity
- Tone and mood
- romantic; comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- midlife crisis
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Awards and nominations
- Best Comedy · Critics' Choice Awards · 17th · nomination; Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · Golden Globe Awards · 69th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was developed under the working title Untitled Marital Crisis Comedy.; The original cut was three hours long.; The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 1, 2011.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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