Film Review: This is 40

Five years ago Judd Apatow gave us the pregnancy-based rom-com Knocked Up. Two of the supporting characters admittedly stole the show so he decided to make a “sort-of sequel” revolving around them and titled it This is 40. The film is centered on record producer Pete (Paul Rudd) and clothing store owner Debbie (Leslie Mann, Apatow’s real life wife) as they both turn 40 the same week and try to cope. As with Apatow’s last film, Funny People, This is 40 attempts to take on a more serious approach to life. Unlike Funny People though, this film manages to pull it off.

While the film may be more serious at times, it still finds plenty of room for the patented Apatow brand of humor. The movie starts off with a fight over whether or not taking Viagra to have sex with your wife should be considered a present or an insult (Spoiler: you are probably not going to win the present argument with a woman). Pete’s record company is going through some tough times and they are having money troubles at home, not that Debbie is aware of them. As the family is driving (complete with daughter’s  Sadie and Charlotte, played by Maude and Iris Apatow) Pete is trying to get them to enjoy the “real music” of his newly signed act Graham Parker and The Roumer. The females are not having it and just want to listen to top 40 “happy” music, such as “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Pete’s inability to understand what the general public wants, let alone his own family is proving to be the downfall of his company. It also doesn’t help that he has loaned $80,000 to his father (Albert Brooks) recently. Debbie has a whole other problem at her clothing store: They are missing $12,000. The suspect is Jodi (Megan Fox) who has been caught having sex in the store before and consistently is coming in with new high-end clothes and recently bought a new Acura. Fox plays up her beauty for the character, but is also surprisingly funny in her supporting role.

These financial issues are just the background of the true issue of dealing with getting older and trying to figure out if you are living the life you wanted. The climax occurs at the birthday party where the film feels a little strange. Not because of anything that occurs on screen, although that is purposely strange. Instead it’s the omission of Knocked Up’s Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen that is questionable. Not only was Katherine Heigl’s character living with Pete and Debbie in the first film, but there are even kids at the party that would be approximately the same age as the couple’s child. Once you get over the fact that this has less to do with making sense in the film, and more to do with Heigl’s disparaging comments towards the film you see there is still a lot to love. This includes scene-stealing cameos from the Apatow regulars including Jason Segel, Charlyne Yi, Chris O’Dowd, Lena Dunham, and Melissa McCarthy and even the non-regular John Lithgow. If turning 40 is anything like This is 40, I think I will be ready for the ride. Spousal anus exams not included.

B