• 10
  • August
    2011

Steve Carrell makes popular movies, but the comedian's work does not usually serve as the spark for a national discussion about family law and changing social views.

Nevertheless, his latest film "Crazy, Stupid Love" has done exactly that.

The film begins with Carell's character's wife, played by Julianne Moore, asking him for a divorce after 25 years of marriage. Carrell's character is blindsided. He had no reason to think their marriage was on the rocks, and isn't divorce only a common thing only for younger couples?

In interviews, Moore has said she related to her character, Emily, because she was intrigued by how a couple who started out so strong could eventually find their love fading. It's evidently quite a common trend in real life, as more and more Baby Boomers decide it would be best for them and for their families if they no longer remained married. Although people often thing the only couples who get divorced are young couples who got married too early in the relationship, statistics tell a different story.

The film, which has been a modest hit, has prompted much discussion on Internet bulletin boards and newspaper Op/Ed pages about divorce and how our society's views of marriage are changing.

"Crazy, Stupid Love" is fictitious, of course, but it might feel very familiar to Denver viewers. Not every marriage that ends does so with a bang. Some of them just retreat quietly to the point where each spouse thinks he or she would be happier out of the marriage.

Have you seen this movie? If so, what did you think of it? Was it a realistic portrayal of two people trying to decide what is best for them, or was it just a Hollywood depiction of a marriage and separation?

Source: The Manila Bulletin, "Julianne Moore contemplates divorce in 'Crazy, Stupid Love,'" Aug. 8, 2011.