A perfect mix of Cute and Serious

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2011)

A surprising movie on many levels. Sassy humor mixed with grounding reality. The story seems to sprawl a little, in the way it goes all over the place at times, and yet it manages to create a fun gem of an evening. I haven't laughed so hard in a theater in a long time--and it wasn't over the crude humor that so often gets the crowds going (which I don't care for). Yes, there is crude humor--it seems to come with the territory in Steve Carell movies--but that is not the basis for what makes this movie great. Nor is it "great" in the sense that I expect it to land a bunch of award nominations. But if you're looking for a movie that mimics life, but presents it in an entertaining way, you'll probably enjoy this one. The actors portray their characters well, the plot twists keep it interesting, and it is really a deeper story than the surface value suggests.