THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT

US, 2012, 124 minutes, Colour.
Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Jacki Weaver, Alison Brie, Mimi Kennedy, David Paymer, Jim Piddock.
Directed by Nicholas Stoller.

A romantic comedy, with older protagonists, and with a longer time to sort out issues of love and commitment!

The film has been produced by Jud Apatow, whose produced and/or directed films, run to a certain pattern. This one is no exception. There are usually some men and women behaving badly plotlines at first; then all seems lost, bad errors of judgment and conduct; then there is some recovery and acknowledgement of mistakes; then a firm emphasis on love and commitment. The Jud Apatow Syndrome.

It is hard not to like cook, Tom (Jason Segel) and his fiancée, Violet (Emily Blunt). He is a good chef. She is studying psychology. Then she gets an offer of a university position in Michigan (from San Francisco) and off they go, she to fulfilment of life hopes, he to being unable to get a chef’s job (and being laughed at for giving up everything for snowy Michigan). Then she gets an offer of a continued position. Is marriage really a no go?

In the background are Violet’s sister, Susan, who becomes involved with Tom’s best friend, Alex. And they settle down, against all expectations, to marriage and a family. There are also the respective parents (one of whom is Jacki Weaver as Violet’s British mother, disappointed in marriage, sometimes blunt and indiscreet) and grandparents who hope to see the couple married before they die – several of them don’t!

Academic life for Violet is helped along by Winton (Rhys Ifans), the professor, and his oddball team of assistants, thinking up tests and experiments to measure and promote their careers. Sandwich-making life for Tom is not always easy but there is an outlet in hunting deer with another homebound husband. And then some jealousy.

Where will it end? As if we didn’t know. But, as always, the point is not what happens, but how did they get there.

This is a mild comedy, smiles rather than laughs – though there are some of those – some crass jokes, as always, and some pleasant romantic scenes.

1. A romantic comedy – with older protagonists? For older audiences? More real because of the long engagement? Commitment?

2. The screenplay, from the director and the main actor, in the Judd Apatow tradition? People behaving badly, crassly, making mistakes, rectifying the situations, moral perspectives, especially commitment?

3. The plausibility of the plot and characters? American style?

4. Violet and Tom, the performances and engaging the audience? Change? Going to the party, the detour, the restaurant, the joke, the proposal? The memories of the New Year’s Eve party, superbug and Diana? Talking, kissing, the film returning to this episode throughout?

5. Violet and her studies and plans? Tom and his cooking, chef? The joke for the proposal – and the repetition at the end? Happiness, going to the rehearsal? The inn, the speeches, their pessimism, Susan and her crying, Violet’s mother and her attitude towards her husband? His presence with the Chinese girl, his comments? Alex? The aftermath, Alex and Susan together?

6. The characters of Alex and Susan, seemingly promiscuous, the night at the bed-and-breakfast, the pregnancy, breaking the news to Violet? The wedding, the Spanish song and the emotion? Tears? The fact that they would live together and have the family?

7. Violet and Tom, their lives, hopes, the position at Berkeley, the mail, the months passing, the pressures, the parents wanting them to marry, the grandparents – and the frequent episodes of grandparents’ death?

8. Violet not getting into Berkeley, the reply from Michigan? Violet happy, talking with Tom, delaying the wedding? Violet and the preparations? The venue, the music, the dress? Agreement to postponement?

9. The psychological background of the film, talk, honesty, truth? One person’s hold over the other? Tom and his anxieties? Violet and her delight? The build-up to the conflict, trying to talk it out – or failing?

10. Violet, the postponement, the class, people being entertained by Winton, the fire alarm hoax? The meeting, the team, thinking up the tests – and the jokes? The reality, the doughnut experiment? Violet’s research? Submitting her thesis? Her being accepted for tenure?

11. Tom, his jobs, trying to get something in Michigan, the Indian staff and their mocking him? Going to the sandwich-making, Tarquin’s welcome, eccentricities? Meeting Bill, the discussion about home husbands, knitting and the pullovers, the food, going hunting – the hunting sequences, the deer, the deer on the roof of the car? The later eating of venison, the stands from the hooves, mugs from deerskin?

12. Winton, Welsh, place at the university, his team, his behaviour in class? People attracted to him? The team, their bickering amongst each other, the eccentric tests, the ethnic background, Chinese, Indian, African American? Winton and the kiss? Violet allowing it? The repercussions?

13. The visits, Alex and Susan, bringing Vanessa, the awkwardness, the bold shot into Violet’s leg?

14. The deaths, the funerals? Violet’s mother and her continued advice?

15. The decision to marry, Tom and the planning, the venue, the rehearsals? His discovering what happened with Winton? His going out? Violet’s and Winton’s kiss? Drinking? Meeting Winton outside, talking, the long chase and the slapstick humour? His meeting the girl from the diner? Her advances, the sexual encounter, going out into the snow, in hospital, losing his toe – and Alex’s jokes?

16. The break, Violet staying at the university, with Winton? Tom, returning to San Francisco, working with Alex, the job? Audrey, her sexual energy and domination? His hesitations?

17. The phone call, Violet’s birthday, their talking? Tom and his parents coming to see him, their blunt talk about themselves, their marriage, their life and his ignorance of it? Alex trying to help, firing him? His breaking up with Audrey and her reactions?

18. Tom, developing the Mexican menu, success, the van, the customers? Violet helping?

19. Going to the airport, the proposal, the joke, the marriage conditions and choices, the ceremony, the Spanish song?

20. Alex and Susan, their children? The characters of the parents, the grandparents?

21. Winton, his age? Audrey, her age?

22. Themes of love, making mistakes, recovering, commitment?