Wait a Minute Baby

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is an It-Funny-Guy-Judd Apatow-produced comedy written by and starring Jason Segel (TV’s How I Met Your Mother), about a dude who gets dumped by an up-and-coming Young Hollywood starlet, and the awkwardness that ensues when he runs into her and her new musician boyfriend while trying to get away from it all in Hawaii.

That’s the plot in a nutshell.

And here’s why I liked it:

Kristen Bell: I never thought I’d see the erstwhile Veronica Mars in any of the many wild positions her titular role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall required of her, but last night I did.

And although my mouth dropped, I admire her all the more for it.

There’s an irresistible twinkle in Bell’s eye that makes the most outrageous scene maintain an irreproachable classiness. That’s rare and quite special.

Jason Segel: He based the script partly on his own break-ups, and brought enough humility, humor, and gravitas to a role that called for full frontal male nudity –something that’s rather elusive in studio movies.

Courageously, he went there and beyond, showing us that yes, big boys cry.

Here’s what I didn’t like:

In spite of an inherently funny premise, Forgetting Sarah Marshall could’ve used a better running time-joke formula for success.

Some of the funniest, most quotable lines were said too quickly in a movie that unfortunately, ran too long.

Alright, so my worry that this wasn’t going to be a fun time at the movie theater was ultimately unwarranted, but this wasn’t a taut movie. It had enough charisma to make up for its unfunny bits, though.

My Rating **1/2

Photo: Universal Pictures.