Enter 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' (2008), one of the most painfully hilarious breakup movies, and 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' (2011). Both take different approaches to breakup humor and manage to strike comedic gold in very "sucky" situations.
First up is a brief summary of Forgetting Sarah Marshall:
The film follows Peter, played by Jason Segel, a heartbroken guy trying to get over his hot (famous) ex-girlfriend Sarah by relaxing at a Hawaiian Resort. To his luck, Sarah, played by Kristen Bell, happens to be at the same resort... at the same time.... with her new rockstar boyfriend.
The movie revolves around Cal Weaver, played by Steve Carell, whose life takes an unexpected turn when his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), asks for a divorce. Devastated, Cal finds help from Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a young bachelor who helps him navigate the dating scene. Later on, however, we learn that their lives are a lot more involved than Cal OR Jacob knew.
Here are the key takeaways:
1. The Big, Painfully Awkward Breakup
Both films open with gut-punch breakups that somehow feel way too real—while also being absolutely ridiculous.
In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Peter (Jason Segel) gets dumped while naked. It’s painfully awkward, but also kinda genius. He’s literally exposed, setting the tone for his downward spiral.. which only worsens when his trip gets interrupted by the very thing he's trying to get away from. The contrast between Sarah (Kristen Bell) casually breaking up with him and Peter’s emotional (and unclothed) meltdown makes it even funnier.
Meanwhile, Crazy, Stupid, Love starts with Cal (Steve Carell) getting dumped by his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) at dinner. Instead of fighting back, he just mutters, “Okay.” (Much like the boyfriend in my short film will!) Then, he immediately throws himself out of a moving car (the scene is embedded above) to avoid talking about it. The way the scene escalates from quiet tension to absolute absurdity is exactly the kind of humor I love and want to try and express in my 5-minute timeframe.
2. Side characters add a LOT
Both films use side characters to push the main character deeper into breakup chaos. Forgetting Sarah Marshall has the most unhelpful yet hilarious advice givers including: Paul Rudd as the spacey surf instructor, Jonah Hill as the obsessive waiter, and Mila Kunis as the too-cool-to-care receptionist.
Crazy, Stupid, Love introduces Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a smooth-talking womanizer who decides to remodel Cal post-breakup. Watching Steve Carell go from dad mode to “wannabe ladies’ man” is peak comedy due to the sheer secondhand embarrassment (it feels like listening to your parents try and be "cool")
For my short film, I need this energy. I want the best friend character to take the breakup rehearsal way too seriously, like treating it as a full-blown stage production (“We need props. And lighting. And a backup dancer.”). In fact, maybe she is the one who had the idea to practice beforehand in the first place..
3. Expectation vs. Reality = Comedy
Last but not least, both films play with expectations in a way that makes breakups even funnier.
In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Peter finally moves on… only for Sarah to suddenly want him back. The big emotional confrontation is completely undercut by awkward pauses and bad timing. And similarly, Crazy, Stupid, Love builds up Cal’s transformation so much—then reveals his ultimate romantic rival is Ryan Gosling dating his daughter. The serious moment turns into pure chaos that literally breaks into a fight. This is exactly the kind of twist I want in my film. My lead character spends so much time rehearsing the breakup, only for the guy to just… accept it. No drama. No argument. Just a casual “Okay, yeah.” And that’s it.
With this in mind, and more research to come, I'm building a solid foundation before the pre-production stages of my short film begin. Until the next one..
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