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Superbad (2007)

Since 2005, almost every summer has featured at least one R-rated breakout comedy. 2005 really kick-started the trend when it had two such hits in Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year Old Virgin. Studios apparently needed one year off before perfecting the trend with 2007’s entries into the potty-mouth-with-a-heart sub-genre - the one-two punch of Knocked Up and then Superbad. Not letting up, 2008 brought two more in Pineapple Express and Step Brothers, and 2009 featured the uber-successful The Hangover.

In all of these films, men talk about sex, use vulgarities, and generally behave like children – but they all have the unique distinction of featuring characters who are vulnerable and, in the end, maybe just in need of a little bromance. Superbad is the only one of these films to feature high school students, and in many ways it feels like another raunchy entry into the American Pie film catalogue. Superbad follows two high schoolers hoping to lose their virginity before they graduate – because let's face it, for protagonists Seth and Evan, half a dozen handjobs and three-quarters of a blowjob just doesn’t cut it. But to leave the description of Superbad at that would be to do it a great disservice.

Despite its lowbrow humor (e.g., there is a six-year-old with an uncontrollable desire to draw male genitalia), Superbad is, at times, surprisingly mature. Evan and Seth, the two high schoolers with virginity in question, are dealing with separation anxiety issues, the weight of their 17-year long friendship, and the high school social hierarchy. And to the film’s credit, even their female counterparts have some level of depth as well – a rarity in this male-dominated genre.

Just as was the case with Daytrippers finding backing from Soderbergh, Mottola once again had the good fortune of being backed by some big-time talent in his second feature. Superbad’s script was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who later penned Pineapple Express as well), and is largely considered to be a sort of reimagining of their combined high school experiences. The producer, (as is apparently the case with every R-rated comedy) is Judd Apatow, an obvious benefit for a director trying to find his comedic voice. Perhaps standing as a testament to how fine of a job Mottola did with the film, so many advertisements today still say “from the creators of Superbad.”

Perhaps Apatow felt Mottola was well suited for the job given their experiences working together on several episodes of Undeclared (an Apatow produced television show). Superbad also marks Mottola’s second straight film to feature events told over the course of less than 24 hours.

Superbad was an instant success, covering its budget on opening weekend, and ending its domestic run at $121 million and taking in another $48 million from overseas for good measure. While none of the leads have reached quite the same level of success since, all of them have gone on to make other star turns, and there is an ongoing debate about which will be met with the most long-term success; it feels a bit like the entire lot of them (Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and even Christopher-Mintz Plasse) might have expiration dates as far as mainstream acceptance is concerned. Superbad, however, seems to have left an indelible mark on modern cinema, and it will be requisite viewing for years to come for high school and college students alike. Teenagers: get your checklists out, your pre-college bucket list must now include lose your V-Card and watch Superbad.

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