This Is 40 (2012)
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A married couple's relationship is tested as both partners reach the milestone of turning 40.
The story
Five years after the events of Knocked Up, Pete and Debbie are navigating the complexities of marriage and parenthood. Pete runs a struggling record label while Debbie manages a boutique. As both reach their 40th birthdays, the pressures of their careers, their children's conflicts, and their personal milestones create a strained dynamic. The story follows their attempts to navigate these challenges, including a romantic getaway and the realization of a new pregnancy, as they confront the realities of aging and the demands of their family life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Five years after Knocked Up, Debbie owns a boutique and Pete runs a struggling record label. They are dealing with the constant fighting between their daughters, Sadie and Charlotte. To celebrate Debbie's 40th birthday, they go to a resort where they confront their relationship and their fears about aging. Amidst this, Debbie discovers she is pregnant but keeps it a secret. The plot involves various conflicts: Debbie deals with a dishonest employee, Pete deals with his father's financial demands, and the couple navigates a series of escalating arguments. A major confrontation occurs when Pete finds out about the pregnancy, leading to a physical altercation with a stranger. Ultimately, after a trip to the hospital, Pete and Debbie reconcile, acknowledging their roles as parents and partners, and find common ground in their shared future.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 133
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Judd Apatow
- Writers
- Judd Apatow · writer
- Cast and characters
- Paul Rudd · Pete; Leslie Mann · Debbie; John Lithgow · Debbie's withdrawn father; Megan Fox · Desi; Albert Brooks · Pete's dad
- Genres
- romantic comedy-drama
- Themes
- marriage; parenting; aging; family dynamics
- Tone and mood
- comedic; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- midlife crisis; family drama
- Franchise connections
- Knocked Up
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast and comedic moments but criticized the long runtime and occasional aimlessness.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 52% · scale: percentage · review count: 221; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Production trivia
- A potential sequel titled This Is 50 was in early development as of 2022.; The film was originally scheduled for a June 2012 release.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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