I Love You, Man (2009)
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A friendless man's quest for a best man for his wedding leads to an unexpected and complicated bromance.
The story
Peter Klaven, a Los Angeles real estate agent, is preparing for his wedding to Zooey Rice but realizes he lacks close male friends to share the news with. After hearing his girlfriend's friends express concern over his lack of guy friends, Peter decides he must find some to serve as his best man. He begins making overtures to various men, including a hot-headed husband named Barry. After several rejections, Peter meets Sydney Fife, an investor who shares his adoration for the rock band Rush. The two bond quickly, but Peter's new friendship with Sydney begins to cause suspicion and tension with his fiancée.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Peter Klaven, a Los Angeles real estate agent, proposes to his girlfriend Zooey Rice. Realizing he has no close male friends, he sets out to find a best man. After several failed attempts, including a disastrous interaction with a man named Barry, Peter meets Sydney Fife at a mansion open house. The two bond over their love for the band Rush. Peter introduces Sydney to Zooey, but Sydney's awkward toast at the engagement party causes friction. Peter eventually lends Sydney $8,000, and Sydney agrees to be the best man. However, Zooey becomes suspicious of Sydney's motives. Peter discovers Sydney used the loan to buy billboard ads for his real estate business. After a confrontation where Peter ends the friendship, he reconciles with Zooey. As the wedding approaches, Sydney finds himself lonely. Peter eventually discovers the billboards were successful, helping him win back a lucrative listing and stand up to a difficult colleague. Though Peter initially decides not to invite Sydney to the wedding, Zooey invites him at the last minute. Sydney arrives dramatically on a Vespa, returns the money, and reveals the billboards were a wedding gift. The wedding proceeds with Sydney as best man, and the film ends with Peter and Sydney joining a band to perform a Rush song.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Hamburg
- Writers
- John Hamburg · screenplay; Larry Levin · screenplay; Larry Levin · story
- Cast and characters
- Paul Rudd · Peter Klaven; Jason Segel · Sydney Fife; Rashida Jones · Zooey Rice; Andy Samberg; J. K. Simmons; Jane Curtin; Jon Favreau; Jaime Pressly
- Genres
- bromantic comedy; buddy comedy
- Themes
- friendship; bromance; wedding preparation
- Tone and mood
- heartfelt; hilarious; blush-worthy bawdiness
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy comedy; wedding; friendship
- Source material / true-story basis
- Let's Be Friends by Larry Levin
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews, with a critical consensus praising the performances of the lead actors. It was a commercial success, grossing $93.4 million worldwide on a $40 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · review count: 204; Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 34; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Best Kiss · MTV Movie Awards · 2009 · lost
- Production trivia
- The script was purchased but went unused for about 11 years before the film was made.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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