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Is it worth $10? Yes
All guys have said it: This girl is too gorgeous—she wouldn’t date me. She’s a 10, I’m a 5, there’s no chance. Some guy who deserves her will ask her out. But what if they’re wrong? One of the charms of “She’s Out of My League” is that it gives an underdog an honest chance, and because it’s a funny romantic comedy with great guy humor and some inspired sequences, it works.
Skinny, geeky Kirk (Jay Baruchel) is a mess. He’s an airport security guard in Pittsburgh who doesn’t have much ambition, lacks confidence and isn’t attractive. His friends Devon (Nate Torrence), Jack (Mike Vogel) and Stainer (T.J. Miller) give him advice about women, which makes things worse. Kirk is also still hung up on his ex-girlfriend Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), who dumped him two years ago.
Molly (Alice Eve), in contrast, is an event planner and former lawyer. She’s charmed by Kirk’s sweetness as she goes through security, and eventually asks him out. Her friend Patty (Krysten Ritter) believes Molly likes him because he’s “safe” and will not hurt her, and she’s right. Kirk and Molly form a nice bond nonetheless, and are happy together. And we’re happy for them. Then insecurity and conflicts come in, they fight, and every romantic comedy tells the same story.
You may be thinking this is unrealistic, and that a girl this pretty wouldn’t go for an average-looking guy unless he’s spankin’ rich. And you’re probably right. But the truth is Molly isn’t that cute to begin with, and more importantly writers Sean Anders and John Morris allow Molly to explain her feelings for Kirk. This scene isn’t convincing, but director Jim Field Smith gets credit for at least trying to cover the movie’s most inexplicable element.
There are funny moments throughout, but two scenes stands out as blatant attempts to be extreme. One involves an “accident” Kirk has before meeting Molly’s parents, and the other depicts male closeness that should never happen between two straight men (it involves pubic hair). Both scenes work for laughs, but they also feel a bit desperate, as if the filmmakers have to top all other raunchy rom-coms or there’s no point in releasing the movie.
As much as we root for Kirk and Molly, their character arcs are bland and predictable. Their friends Stainer and Patty, however, never have a dull moment: Both are crass (“Go s**t in your hand,” Patty tells a fellow airplane passenger), uncouth and still genuinely caring people, and each has just the right amount of screen time to collectively be the best thing about the movie without being too obnoxious.
The movie’s conclusion is far-fetched and unrealistic, but it’s funny enough that we don’t care. Perhaps, hopefully, “She’s Out of My League” will inspire a single guy who sees it to take a chance and ask that pretty girl across the room for a date. After all, that’s how love happens. Sometimes.
Did you know?
Director Jim Field Smith and star Alice Eve are British.
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