Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Director:

Nicholas Stoller

Writer (WGA):

Jason Segel (written by)

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

From the guys who brought you "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up"

Plot:

Devastated Peter takes a Hawaii vacation in order to deal with recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex ... and she's bringing along her new boyfriend. |

Plot Keywords:

Hawaii | Nudity | Puppet | Flashback | Flirting

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Jason Segel	...	Peter Bretter
Kristen Bell	...	Sarah Marshall
Mila Kunis	...	Rachel Jansen
Russell Brand	...	Aldous Snow
Bill Hader	...	Brian Bretter
Liz Cackowski	...	Liz Bretter
Maria Thayer	...	Wyoma
Jack McBrayer	...	Darald
Taylor Wily	...	Kemo
Davon McDonald	...	Dwayne the Bartender (as Da'Vone McDonald)
Steve Landesberg	...	Dr. Rosenbaum
Jonah Hill	...	Matthew the Waiter
Paul Rudd	...	Chuck
Kala Alexander	...	Greg
Kalani Robb	...	Helpful Hawaiian Waiter
Francesca DeBlanco	...	Hostess at Buffet
Branscombe Richmond	...	Keoki
Billy Bush	...	Himself
William Baldwin	...	Billy Baldwin - Det. Hunter Rush on 'Crime Scene'
Jason Bateman	...	Detective on 'Animal Instincts'
Peter Lewis	...	Suspect on 'Animal Instincts' (as Peter Gray Lewis)
Trula M. Marcus	...	Lawyer on 'Crime Scene' (as Trula Marcus)
Kirk Fox	...	Mixer
June Diane Raphael	...	Ann at the Bar (as June Raphael)
Ahna O'Reilly	...	Leslie
Tanisha Harper	...	Model
Carla Gallo	...	Gag Me Girl
Murray Miller	...	Photographer
Cynthia Lamontagne	...	Female Bartender
Max Alexander	...	Big Dracula Head (as Maxwell Alexander)
Kris Fitzgerald	...	Man Who Proposes
Brittany Ross	...	Screaming Girlfriend
Joe 'Kaleo' Kelii	...	Singer in Band
Peter Salett	...	Keyboard Player
Gedde Watanabe	...	Hotel Manager
Allan Jeff Ho	...	Male Bar Patron
Chaunnel Salmon	...	Female Bar Patron
Mervyn Lilo	...	Fire Dancer
Philip Matila	...	Luau Band Leader
Danielle Prem	...	Hula Dancer #1
Tehina-Mai K. Mataele	...	Hula Dancer #2
Agnes Matila	...	Hula Dancer #3
Genny Wilson	...	Engaged Luau Woman
Scott Francis Russell	...	Engaged Luau Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Massi Furlan	...	Bar Patron at Table
Phillip Sanchez	...	Theater Group
Jean Huynh	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Albert Miranda	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Stoller

Writing credits (WGA)
Jason Segel		(written by)

Produced by
Judd Apatow	....	producer
Shauna Robertson	....	producer
Rodney Rothman	....	executive producer
Richard Vane	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lyle Workman

Cinematography by
Russ T. Alsobrook

Film Editing by
William Kerr

Casting by
Jeanne McCarthy

Production Design by
Jackson De Govia

Art Direction by
Alicia Maccarone
Scott Meehan

Set Decoration by
K.C. Fox

Costume Design by
Leesa Evans

Makeup Department
Linda Arnold	....	department head hair stylist
Brooke Bell	....	makeup artist
Lotus Benedix	....	additional hair stylist
Leo Corey Castellano	....	prosthetic design and application
Tracey Levy	....	makeup department head
Karen Iboshi Preiser	....	makeup artist
Wendy Robin	....	assistant makeup artist
Leah Vautrot	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Renee Confair	....	production supervisor
Nadia Paine	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles
Don Zepfel	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bernie Bonner Axelrod	....	second second assistant director
Chamonix Bosch	....	second second assistant director
Gary Marcus	....	first assistant director
Dawn Massaro	....	second assistant director
Tim Trella	....	second unit director
Wainani Young-Tomich	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jason Beale	....	art department coordinator: re-shoots
Rachel Block	....	art department assistant
Susan A. Burig	....	graphic designer
Marco A. Campos	....	propmaker foreman
Peggy Casey	....	set decoration buyer
Doug Crawford	....	propmaker
Jim Dultz	....	puppet supervisor
Doug DuRose	....	assistant property master
Alyce Fahsholtz	....	painter
Kent Harland	....	construction office manager
Kay Kropp	....	lead painter
Craig K. Lewis	....	set dresser
Alicia Maccarone	....	set designer
Eugene McCarthy	....	property master
Michael McCombe	....	greens foreman
Jennifer Moller	....	art department coordinator
Steven O'Bannon	....	labor foreman
Sarah Regan	....	painter
Brent Rice	....	lead man
John H. Samson	....	construction coordinator
Andre Sowards	....	on-set dresser: additional photography
Sharon Speller	....	decorator painter
Christopher Stanback	....	art department coordinator
Darrell Tachibana	....	greensman: Hawaii
Gary Thomas	....	storyboard artist
Laura Whitehead	....	set decorating production assistant
Maret Wicken	....	head paint foreman: reshoots
Maret Wicken	....	set painter gang boss
Liloa Wong	....	head greens coordinator
Richard Ewan	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	supervising sound editor
Bill Burns	....	assistant adr editor
Tammy Fearing	....	adr supervisor
Brooke Graeff	....	foley assistant
Adam Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Larry Kemp	....	sound editor
Kraig Kishi	....	boom operator
Chet Leonard	....	utility sound
Cindy Marty	....	sound effects editor
Joe Schiff	....	foley editor
Roy Seeger	....	foley editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Orest Sushko	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cherie Tamai	....	first assistant sound editor
Richard Van Dyke	....	production sound mixer
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Greg Zimmerman	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Scott Land	....	puppet builder

Visual Effects by
Chris Chappell	....	compositor
Sam Dabbs	....	titles
Scott M. Davids	....	visual effects supervisor
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor
Jalal Jemison	....	digital compositor
Benjamin Locke	....	compositor (as Ben Lock)
Madhava Reddy	....	digital intermediate
Michael Rivero	....	computer display graphics

Stunts
Tim Trella	....	stunt coordinator
Michael Trisler	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
McEveety Annie	....	camera operator (as Annie McEveety)
Justin Babin	....	rigging grip
Curtis Bradford	....	gaffer
Mark Carlile	....	lighting technician
Rick Crum	....	lighting technician
Daryl Didier	....	rigging gaffer
Jerome Fauci	....	camera operator
Nathan Dean Fetzer	....	rigging electrician: re-shoots
Henry Fordham	....	grip
Jason Garcia	....	first assistant camera
Danny Gonzalez	....	lighting technician
Jeff Graham	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Casey Hotchkiss	....	camera operator
Willow Jenkins	....	video assist
Scott Lisetor	....	grip
Daniel L. Magat	....	lighting technician
Terry Pfrang	....	camera operator
John Savedra	....	lighting technician
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	key grip
Aaron Schulte	....	rigging best boy electric
Dan Squires	....	second assistant camera
Nicole Turegano	....	additional camera loader
Michael Ursetta	....	rigging electrician
Michael Wahl	....	dolly grip
Glen Wilson	....	still photographer
Jason Young	....	lighting console programmer

Casting Department
Nicole Abellera	....	casting associate
Joanne Bloom	....	casting assistant
Kyle Burch	....	extras casting assistant
Elizabeth Dionne	....	casting manager
Rich King	....	extras casting
Leslie Woo	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anatole Brattson Jr.	....	costume production assistant
Kristen Evenson	....	costumer
Ariel Gold	....	set costumer
Molly Grundman	....	key costumer
Mila Hermanovski	....	key costumer
Michelle Margolis	....	costumer
Olivia Miles	....	costumer
Diana Savone	....	wardrobe assistant
Brooke C. Thatawat	....	key costumer
Robyn Zucker	....	set costumer: Hawaii

Editorial Department
Nathan Bruner	....	apprentice editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Jimmy Fusil	....	digital intermediate producer
Mikki Levi	....	post-production assistant
Brian Scott Olds	....	assistant editor
John Persichetti	....	digital colorist
Michael L. Sale	....	additional editor
Dov Samuel	....	first assistant editor
Lee Wimer	....	color timer

Music Department
Brad Haehnel	....	score mixer
Jonathan Karp	....	music editor
Jonathan Karp	....	music supervisor
Tim Rodier	....	orchestrator
Peter Salett	....	production music consultant
Carl Sealove	....	additional music editor
Gina Zimmitti	....	music contractor

Transportation Department
Selena Carrillo	....	transportation office coordinator
Daniel Davis	....	driver
Royale Edward	....	driver
Bill Lopez-Arjona	....	driver
Tom Rebber	....	transportation captain
John Reed	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Karen Mae Black	....	production assistant
Meghan Burchfield	....	additional set production assistant
Michelle D. Camero	....	assistant to director
Joe Clary	....	production assistant
Greg Cohen	....	assistant: Mr. Apatow
Adam Davis	....	additional set production assistant
Sonia Y. Dawson	....	second assistant accountant
Scott Ejercito	....	projectionist
Alyce Fahsholtz	....	assistant production office coordinator
Amanda Finn	....	production assistant
Serena Flores	....	production secretary
David J. Forsythe	....	production assistant
W. Harry Fortuna	....	production assistant
Maude F. Furia	....	assistant accounting
Mary Gutfleisch	....	production assistant
Mark Harden	....	bird trainer
Jesse Heiman	....	stand-in
Matthew Henick	....	assistant: Judd Apatow
Damon Hight	....	general foreman
Carl Kocis	....	stand-in
Krista Kuebler	....	key second assistant accountant
Gary Kurashige	....	on set medic
Tim LaDue	....	production assistant
Scott Land	....	puppeteer
Craig Langus	....	production assistant
Ali Lanza	....	travel coordinator
Austin Lapierre	....	office production assistant: additional photography
Brenda Lopez	....	script supervisor
Scott Markus	....	production assistant
Stephanie McKinnon	....	production secretary
Gunnar Moulton	....	production assistant
Tamra Natisin	....	set production assistant
Michael Oosterom	....	puppeteer
Robert Paulsen	....	key assistant location manager
Angela Randazzo	....	payroll accountant
Claire Raskind	....	unit publicist (as Claire Raskind Cooper)
Jesi Rosemeyer	....	production assistant
Anneke Scott	....	set production assistant
Ben Shelton	....	production assistant
Ashley C. Smith	....	assistant production coordinator
Sarah Sprague	....	production coordinator
Joshua Stickler	....	key production assistant
Miker Stovall	....	assistant production office coordinator
Lauren Suarez	....	assistant production coordinator
Donna Tegan	....	set production assistant
Anthony Vallejo-Sanderson	....	production assistant
Jason Segel	....	puppeteer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Apatow Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Myndform (2008) (Iceland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) - DumaFilm (2008) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Russia) (theatrical)
• B and H Films (2008) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures Canada (2008) (Canada) (theatrical) (as Universal Films Canada)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Universal Studios
• fX Network (2010) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• All Balloons All The Time  balloon decor
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  stabilized remote camera systems
• First Team Rentals  camera cranes
• Star Waggons  cast trailers
• Synxspeed  post-production facilities (foreign dub)
• Urband & Lazar Music Publishing  soundtrack
• Verve Records  soundtrack (as Verve Forecast)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, language and some graphic nudity.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hawaiian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Norway:11 | Ireland:15A | Sweden:Btl | USA:R (certificate #44109) | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:18A (Manitoba) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Singapore:M18 | Japan:R-18 | UK:15 | Canada:18A (Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta)

Filming Locations:

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Company:

Apatow Productions

Trivia:

The topless photo of Mila Kunis' character was not real, according to director Nicholas Stoller.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where Peter and Rachel are talking on the cliff, Rachel's shots are shot during a sunny day, while Peter's are when it is overcast. During the shots of Rachel talking, you can see direct sunlight on Peter's left shoulder. During shots of Peter talking, the sky is overcast, and there is no direct sunlight.

Quotes:

Aldous Snow: Look at my limo driver... I'm going to have sex with her! alright!

Movie Connections:

Features "Project Runway" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Dracula's Lament

Surprise Solid Comedy

I often go see advance screenings in my area, especially now that I must officially be on "the list" as I am constantly finding tickets in my work inbox. This was the second Apatow production I've seen in advance and just like "Superbad", this did not disappoint. At the same time, while many of the cast members may be recognizable, there seems to be something different about this installment than I've seen in the likes of "40 Year Old Virgin", "Superbad", or "Knocked Up".

For starters, there was a definite presence of the "TV actors on the big screen" theme here, but I am pleased to report that Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis take to movies like naturals. Like many Apatow productions, Segel penned the script and takes over as lead Peter Bretter, proving yet again that with this crew the writer is best suited for the leading role. Segel delivers a character we all know too well from our own personal experiences and never breaks role from the shocking beginning to appropriate ending. I even give Segel extra credit for not completely victimizing his character and pointing out apparent flaws on both ends of the ending relationship.

Kristen Bell plays Sarah Marshall, the iconic ex of the film, but her role sits on the back burner along with the truly hilarious Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) to make way for a leading role in Mila Kunis. From the beginning it is clear that her not-too-smart and shallow role of "That 70s Show" didn't follow her to "Forgetting"'s script. Kunis plays Racheal, a hospitality girl for the hotel that "Forgetting" takes place, and subsequently deals with Peter as he tries to get over Sarah Marshall. Her character is intelligent, charismatic, and appreciative of the good in people, a strong juxtaposition to the seemingly selfish starlet Sarah Marshall. Kunis owns the role with pride, even slipping in gestures and glances that didn't seem to initially be in the script. Hopefully this will open her up for more serious roles than "American Psycho 2" and the typecasting that often happens with TV actresses like her.

The star of the film, in my opinion, easily has to be Russell Brand, who plays the over-conscious over-sexed rock star Aldous Snow. Snow adds the necessary level of comedy that could have been missing from what is truly a tragic plot. About halfway in the film, I couldn't help but snicker to myself just with the presence that Brand creates (complete with perfect costume choices). The only downfall to a character who is truly the Mercutio of this tragedy is that Brand clearly overshadows Bell's performance as Sarah Marshall, who is ironically the most forgettable character of the film.

The writing flows with well-timed jokes, apathetic digs, and shocking vulgar humor. There is even a few moments where you feel Segel was digging on the cast with jokes involving crime dramas (Segel did time on "CSI") and TV actresses in horrible horror movies (Kunis did the atrocious "American Psycho 2"); not sure if it was intentional, but I caught what I thought was a reference. Just as with most Apatow productions, leave the kids at home. Unlike the rest, however, the crude humor doesn't overflow and turn off most audiences (like I noticed with "Superbad"). It also doesn't get very heavy in the least (which is what I felt hurt "Knocked Up"). I think Apatow has found a great balance with this production and Segel's script. I also want to give credit to Nicholas Stoller , who proved that he can be successful as a director after the hit he took from helping write "Fun with Dick and Jane".

All in all, this comedy is just another example of a good time for adults. It keeps a consistently flowing script, unlike many recent comedies that seem to lose pace as they close the story. While crude, the jokes are just light enough to appease most adult audiences and the short 100 minute run time will ensure you won't be glancing at your watch waiting for it to end, just laughing hysterically.