Forgetting the Election . . . I mean, Sarah Marshall

I'd like to preface this frivolous post by with an embarrassed disclaimer about the whimsy of my posts here: I do feel strongly about this election even though I never seem to post political thoughts on our blog. I have the Audacity to Hope fever and the boogie-woogie flu (and a McCain administration would take away my work-based health insurance, so they might be incurable), and McCain reminds me more of Mr. Burns or the Emperor from Star Wars every day.

But perhaps because times have been pretty intense recently, it made it all the more lovely to finish watching the Jason Segel penned Forgetting Sarah Marshall last night and to discover that the second hour is funnier and more delightfully idiosyncratic and random than the first half. There seems to be a boilerplate romantic comedy in the Adam Sandler or Judd Apatow vein that involves lots of quippiness in the beginning, slapstick farce and raunchy jokes-between-the-dudes, a contrived separation between two winning leads, and then the reunion. All of these things exist in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but it is a more interesting movie than that as well because at moments it actually really brings humor out of daily situations and tensions, even if it transplants those situations to gorgeous Hawaii to make it more blockbuster movie friendly.

And then sometimes it's just outrageous. Make sure you watch the alternate lines special feature if you rent this DVD.

There are three scenes to look for at the end of this movie: the lots of wine scene, competing screams scene, and finally . . . . The Dracula puppet musical scene. I did not make this up, and I actually feel guilty mentioning it because Paul's and my level of surprise made this scene even more delightful. Jim Henson's creature shop, baby, and Avenue Q gone Gothic!

Surprisingly droll movie and fabulous performances all round, especially the British rocker dude who Sarah Marshall starts dating when she breaks off with our lovable hero.

Also I am increasingly infatuated with Jason Segel, screenwriter of the film, singer of Dracula musical songs, goofy hubby to Alyson Hannigan's character in How I Met Your Mother, and contracted screenwriter for the next Muppet movie (!!!!). I like this picture because I can imagine me as the blonde in the background.
If he were a little more Mediterranean looking, I could cast him as Paul in the movie of my life. There were several things about this character (including the fact that, as Sarah Marshall says, he is a really great guy) that reminded me of my honey.