Club Benefits
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Daily (Mon-Sun)
Tom's Guide Daily
Sign up to get the latest updates on all of your favorite content! From cutting-edge tech news and the hottest streaming buzz to unbeatable deals on the best products and in-depth reviews, we’ve got you covered.
Weekly on Thursday
Tom's AI Guide
Be AI savvy with your weekly newsletter summing up all the biggest AI news you need to know. Plus, analysis from our AI editor and tips on how to use the latest AI tools!
Weekly on Friday
Tom's iGuide
Unlock the vast world of Apple news straight to your inbox. With coverage on everything from exciting product launches to essential software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.
Weekly on Monday
Tom's Streaming Guide
Our weekly newsletter is expertly crafted to immerse you in the world of streaming. Stay updated on the latest releases and our top recommendations across your favorite streaming platforms.
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
In further proof that time is a social construct and the post-COVID era is a years-sucking wormhole, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is turning 15 this year, a fact that feels shocking given that the romantic comedy — which was directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and written by Dan Fogelman — still feels just as fresh and funny a decade-plus later.
With an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" has joined the pantheon of great rom-coms due to its heart and humor, of course, but also because it features one of the best twists that the genre has ever produced. (Seriously, even M. Night Shyamalan would be impressed how they managed to interweave those seemingly disconnected storylines in that mid-movie shocker.)
What is 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' about?
Devastated by the end of his marriage to longtime love Emily (Julianne Moore), Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) finds himself hopeless at dating as he tries to put himself out there in the devastating wake of his wife's affair with co-worker David Lindhagen (Kevin Bacon).
He finds help from a surprising source: the slick, smooth-talking Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role), who takes the middle-aged family man under his womanizing wing and shows him how to properly charm and bed the ladies.
At the same time, Jacob himself is experiencing some romantic breakthroughs of his own with a beguiling law-school graduate named Hannah (Emma Stone), a connection that makes him question his playboy lifestyle.
What is the twist in 'Crazy Stupid Love'?
Warning: Spoilers for "Crazy, Stupid, Love" ahead
The critical consensus over at Rotten Tomatoes, though largely positive about the film's "unabashed sweetness" and "terrifically talented cast," posits that the rom-com "never lives up to the first part of its title," but we'd argue otherwise — and it's all due to that, yes, crazy twist that still manages to surprise us all these years later.
If by chance you haven't caught "Crazy, Stupid, Love" in the 15 years since its debut, here's what goes down in the riotously funny sequence: Hannah brings her new boyfriend Jacob over to her parents' home for a backyard barbecue to meet the family. That's all well and sweet until it's revealed that Hannah's father is none other than Jacob's womanizing mentee, Cal. Given that Cal knows all too much about Jacob's, let's call them, extracurricular activities with the ladies, he's not very pleased to hear that the rake is dating his beloved daughter.
Those tensions only get more hilariously ratcheted up by the arrival of the Weavers' babysitter Jessica (Lio Tipton) and her furious father Bernie (John Carroll Lynch), who just discovered inappropriate photos that his daughter took with her crush, Cal, in mind. And that's not all: Soon enough, Emily's workplace fling, David Lindhagen, also makes an ill-timed entry on the scene to return the Weaver matriarch's sweater.
Cleverly bringing together all of the film's separate romantic storylines, the scene erupts with all of the aforementioned men scuffling in a screen fight for the ages ("What are you grabbing?!"), one that terrifically manages to fit in each of the title's promises.
Watch "Crazy, Stupid, Love" on Netflix now
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
