Finally saw Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40,” courtesy of the library. I do not return just any DVD late, only the ones I really like. I watched it 30-minute increments over the week, because that’s what I have time for (rock star life style), and I really dug it, because it is so angry. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a story about real people (typically, the few times I go nowadays, I see flicks with models shooting zombies, because that’s all I can take in. I don’t want stories that ask you to grow as a person right now.) The story does revolve around a couple who are fairly affluent, caucasian, etc. but perfectly captures how at this age, you’re tugged between your spouse, your children, your job, your aging parents, your financial obligations, your disappearing (or gone) youth (and with it, the dreams of your youth) — and how you feel like you’re not pulling any of it off. There are several scenes where the protagonists just lash out at each other, their kids, strangers when they’re feeling under the gun that I felt rang very true. Being 40, at least in this generation/gen X, you have adult responsibilities, but are still a kid in a way, both a little disappointed at how how things turned out but also incredibly lucky. (I would not say this is true of people from the “Greatest Generation” or the WWII crew — they seem born serious, capable and adult from the start.) Totally loved this movie, completely related to it. It has a lot of gross-out humor (watch out, emo, you will not like that part, but really, that’s not my thing either) and cursing (which…I like.)
There is one scene where the parents discuss their hormonal teenage daughter’s haywire ways and convince themselves she has gone off the deep end because she watched all the seasons of Lost in a row. Leslie Mann, through tears, cries “I hate J. J. Abrams, that f*ng geek!” Is that not the best line?
That Judd Apatow can really write.