When Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller were writing "The Five-Year Engagement," the pair had some pretty lofty goals. "Our model was 'When Harry Met Sally' or 'Annie Hall,'" Segel said on location in Michigan last year. "Our taste is obviously a little bit broader than those movies, but shooting for the stars, that is what we were modeling it after -- those classic romantic comedies."
Whether or not Segel and Stoller reached those heights remains to be seen, but the romantic dramedy got a big boost on Tuesday, when the Tribeca Film Festival announced that "The Five-Year Engagement" would launch the 11th edition of the New York-set film fest in April. Not bad for an R-rated comedy that contains more bad sex than your average high school prom.
"We have a really bad one with a fake orgasm happening on Jason's part, which is even funnier," Segel's onscreen love Emily Blunt told assembled reporters last year. "You guys were like, 'Yeah. That happens a lot with girls,' but this is actually from a guy. So that happens."
Echoed co-star Chris Pratt, who plays Segel's best friend in the film, "There's bad sex in this movie."
There's also a lot of heart, as evidenced by Segel and Stoller's inspirations.
"It's more adult, I think, than 'Sarah Marshall' or 'Get Him to the Greek' in that it explores relationships in a pretty deep, way and it's also really, really funny. I hope. It has an amazing cast pulling off some scenes that are just hilarious."
In addition to Pratt and Blunt, "Five-Year Engagement" also co-stars Alison Brie, Jacki Weaver and Rhys Ifans, who manages to put one of the film's key ideas into words.
"There is a line that Rhys says," Segel recalled. "Something to the effect of 'How much do you compromise your own happiness before you realize that you've become unhappy.' And I think that is one of the themes of the movie as well."
"Five-Year Engagement" follows, unsurprisingly, a five-year engagement between Violet (Blunt) and Tom (Segel), and the ups and downs that come with their relationship.
"We were just kind of thinking about different ways to explore relationships, and I remember sitting at my desk and the words 'Five-Year Engagement' just popped into my head and I was just like, 'I think that's a movie!'" Stoller said. "And I was also obsessed with people who are engaged or together for a long time and don't seal the deal. I think that's something, and I think it's an 'our generation' thing, you know? So I think this was another way to explore that."
"The Five-Year Engagement" arrives in theaters on April 28.
Set interviews conducted by Jenna Busch
PHOTOS:
↧