Why It Ranks
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the best rom-com of the 2000s. Segel's nude crying scene is comedy courage personified. Russell Brand's Aldous Snow became a franchise character. The Dracula puppet musical is the weirdest subplot that works. Apatow's empire at its most emotionally mature.
The Film
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the most emotionally honest rom-com of the Apatow era. Jason Segel wrote and starred in a film about a man who goes to Hawaii to recover from a breakup and discovers his ex is staying at the same resort with her new boyfriend. The nude crying scene in the opening is the bravest comedy choice of the decade — Segel's full-frontal vulnerability (literal and emotional) sets the tone for a film that treats heartbreak as genuinely devastating while remaining consistently hilarious. Russell Brand's Aldous Snow stole the film and launched a spin-off.
Fun Facts
Jason Segel's nude scenes were real — he insisted on full frontal to make the vulnerability authentic.
Russell Brand was largely unknown in America before this film — his improvised Aldous Snow launched his Hollywood career.
The Dracula puppet musical was Segel's real passion project — he later created The Muppets film partly because of this subplot.
Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis both auditioned for each other's roles before being cast in their final parts.
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