The next film in the Judd Apatow family tree is Bros, which is directed by one of the director/producers of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek. Considering how much of an influence he has on the modern comedy landscape, Bros is likely to have a number of Apatow trademarks.
Some of the one-liners from the Bros cast can be expected. To create meaningful monologues and fast, quippy one-liners that bowl over filmgoers with their unexpectedness and charm, Apatow uses his singular comic talent. There are a lot of one-liners in each film.
“I Do Want To Kill You.”
This Is 40 – Debbie
Pete and Debbie’s story from Knocked Up continues and offers a very candid look into Judd’s relationship with the star of the film. The film is a commentary on married life and how a relationship changes as the partners enter a more mature phase of their lives.
There is a complicated relationship between Paul Rudd and his wife. They go on to describe how they would kill each other in one scene of pillow talk. The reality of the scene is that they are comfortable enough to make jokes and know how open they are.
“I’ve Borked A Lot Of Women In My Day.”
The 40-Year-Old Virgin – Andy Stitzer
Steve Carell makes the difficult part of the title character in The 40-Year-Old Virgin hilarious and deep in his comedy debut. Everyone has had an experience when they were out of their comfort zone and said the wrong thing.
Andy’s inability to talk about sex and love reveals to his friends that he’s a virgin, making the whole scene absurd and funny.
“You Think That Just Because You Don’t Yell, You’re Not Mean? This Is Mean!”
Knocked Up – Debbie
A version of the real-life Apatow-Mann marriage can be seen in the two different films in whichLeslie Mann plays the same character as the sometimes-right- sometimes-wrong wife. In this scene from Knocked Up, Debbie is in the right and her one-liners are very realistic.
A pointed critique of those who think there is only one way to be mean in a relationship can be found when Debbie’s finds Paul Rudd’s character is playing fantasy baseball. In the film, the emotional cheating Rudd’s character does in the film causes real pain.
“F**k Facebook!”
Funny People – James Taylor
Sometimes a simple one-liners can get the biggest laugh, and when James Taylor appears out of the blue in the film, his line at a Myspace event is one of the best in the film. This is one of the best celebrity appearances of all time.
James Taylor is singing “Fire and Rain” at a corporate event, even though his character is not a fan of it. Audiences were surprised when the singer curses out a competitor. The cherry on top is the fact that the singer took his line.
“Ooh, I Like Tom’s Sweater. Does He Teach Computer In A Church Basement?”
Trainwreck – Amy Townsend
In the movie Trainwreck, which was released in 2015, the movie was centered on a woman’s story, rather than the male characters seen in his previous films. Amy Schumer’s character is a party girl who does what she wants and is ok if people don’t like it.
In the film, she takes anyone and everyone down a peg whenever she can. In this scene, Amy and her sister, Kim, are talking about Kim’s husband, and Amy’s hilarious line is a good look into what she fears in life.
“You Don’t Get To Act All Crazy Your Entire Life Because Dad Died.”
The King Of Staten Island – Claire Carlin
Pete Davidson plays the title character in The King of Staten Island, a movie that is almost like a biography of the actor who played him. Davidson’s firefighter father died in the September 11 attacks.
The film tries to unpack the history of the characters’ struggles in their lives. Scott’s sister spoke to both the character and the real-life Davidson when she called Scott out for using his father’s death as an excuse not to do anything.
“If I Have To Hear ‘Yah Mo B There’ One More Time, I’m Gonna ‘Yah Mo’ Burn This Place To The Ground.”
The 40-Year-Old Virgin – David
The 40-year-old virgin was one of the first movies that most audiences had heard of. The cast of characters surrounding Steve Carell are some of the best in the movie. Some of the best come from Paul Rudd.
Anyone who has ever worked a job where the music is controlled by someone else and only a few songs are allowed to be played is likely to relate to his frustration with the same song being played on a loop. The perfect quote for a retail worker is his clever one-liners.
“Attention Campers, Lunch Has Been Canceled Due To Lack Of Hustle. Deal With It.”
Heavyweights – Tony Perkis
The Ben Stiller vehicle, Heavyweights, a forgotten film about a weight loss camp with Stiller as the lead counselor, was written by Judd Apatow before he became a household name. In the 1995 comedy, Stiller does an early version of his fitness obsessed gym owner.
Early in the film, the evil counselor Tony Perkis exacts some cruel and unusual punishment on the poor campers. The meal is canceled by Perkis after the campers have finished their workouts.
“I Do Believe In You … I Just Know You’re Gonna Fail.”
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story – Darlene Cox
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a spoof of films such as A Star Is Born and Walk the Line. John C. Reilly was cast as Dewey Cox.
The wife who doesn’t believe in the star’s dreams is included in the film. The dialogue in Walk Hard is loud and clear. There is a very clear explanation of how bad of an idea this is for Dewey by the person who plays her.
“Life Doesn’t Care About Your Vision. You Just Gotta Roll With It.”
Knocked Up – Harris Stone
The stories of the films are often very real and so are the characters. The cast of Knocked Up will often drop lines of dialogue that are quite deep.
Ben Stone’s father, Harold Ramis, makes a brief appearance in the film to talk about the birth of his child. This one line, which speaks to Ben while also being an important life lesson for any viewer, is one of the funnier lines in the show.
Judd Apatow movies are ranked by rewatchability.