It’s literally like riding a wave – Leslie Mann on Turning 40
We spend so much of our lives wishing we were older…old enough to drive and vote and make official decisions. Just when we think we’ve reached that peak age, we begin wishing we could stop the process. I remember that distinct moment when I no longer wished for birthdays to add another year to my belt. And as I approach 35 next year, I wonder if I’ll have the type of mid-life crisis I read about and see depicted on television and in films.
There is something about 40 that seems daunting…We shun it because it is foreign. There is a scene in Universal Pictures’ latest theatrical release This Is 40, where Debbie (Leslie Mann) lies to her physician about her age in a seeming self-denial of sorts. The film is an unfiltered look at a family facing all of the challenges associated with mid-life. I sat down with Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann to talk about approaching mid-life, what it takes to stay married, and the overall universal relatability of the film.
Like most 40 year old women, actress Leslie Mann had the “I’m turning 40 freak out.” Mann would have lunches and get-togethers with friends around the same age and sometimes, those meetings were difficult. “[One moment] we’re all crying, and we all hate our husbands, and we all want to run away, and we all dream about some better life. And then some days we get together, and we’re all really happy with our husbands and love our kids and are happy with everything (Mann).” This is the roller coaster that is mid-life, and according to older women Mann has spoken to about this time in a person’s life, it doesn’t end…the time to enjoy life is right now. At the core of the film is a couple, each of which are dealing with their own interpersonal struggle surrounding the realities of mid-life. Couple that with the added stresses brought on by finances, work, children, and extended family and you now have a family on the verge of a crisis.
There is comfort in knowing that our struggles are not uncommon, and This Is 40’s universal relatability is in it’s candid portrayal of a couple struggling in all aspects of their lives. “This is everybody’s life” (Mann). Rather than walking way from yet another film, feeling like something is terribly wrong with oneself, audiences can leave this film “feeling like you’re ok and that something is terribly wrong with Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann).”
The brilliance that is the film lies in its redemptive moments. We see a couple with struggles that, at times, seem impossible to overcome. In one scene, Pete and Debbie go away for the weekend to reconnect, and according to Mann, this is essential in a marriage. “Literally, it takes less than 24 hours to come back together” (Mann). Both Rudd and Mann make it a point to get away with their spouses, even if it is within driving distance for a short amount of time. “It doesn’t have to be a vacation if you can just reconnect a little bit as a couple” (Rudd).
This Is 40 is unconventional…it’s the film you want to watch because, in some way, you relate…you see yourself and your story lived out on-screen. Where most films end at “happily ever after,” This Is 40 broaches marriage, aging, and family relationships from an authentic, comedic lens.
See it in theaters today, December 21st, 2012.
You can keep up to date with the latest by liking This Is 40 on Facebook/Twitter and following their Tumblr account.
No compensation was received for this post. Interviews with the talent were arranged which helped facilitate the writing of this post.
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