Harold, Kumar and Sarah Marshall: Are Teen Films Graduating?

Reviewer reaction to "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," indicate that perhaps some of the films being released from here forward geared to young movie-goers are reaching for more than a hearty laugh from a series of raunchy jokes. While that element still comfortably resides in this genre of film, there are more traditional components being introduced.

"If this is a trend that takes hold, it's wonderful news for all of us who love movies," said Dennis Vellucci, film teacher at a New York City high school and film historian. "There is a sense when viewing some of these efforts, that the common denominator is sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll or whatever other musical genre you want to substitute. Stories have been flimsy because they didn't need to be more to draw attention and significant audience to the theaters...not to mention the extraordinary impact of the rental DVD market. The more shocking they were, the better. We've seen some examples that this might be changing with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

In "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," starring Jason Segel (it is his screenplay as well), Kristen Bell, and a host of others familiar to Judd Apatow productions, a depressed and devastated man leaves for a vacation in Hawaii to escape the pain of a break-up and runs into his ex-girlfriend, and her new beau, there on a romantic getaway. Terrorism and international issues weave in and out of the Harold and Kumar sequel, which stars John Cho and Kal Penn. Writers and directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg use the controversial hot button Guantanamo Bay to introduce some political commentary into this latest romp.

"You see in both these efforts there's more substance, more weight, than in previous teen movies such as the "American Pie" films which served their own purpose," said Vellucci. "Here, there's pain and dealing with pain, conflict and dealing with conflict. There's some maturity, depth, poignancy, and a conscience that compels the audience to care about the characters and the outcome. Of course, because there is a track record and audience expectation, you will find the obligatory explicit sex and inappropriate behavior, but now there seems to be some balance."

Judd Apatow is the producer of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and he is riding an extraordinary hot streak. Since 2004, he's been responsible for "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Kicking & Screaming," "The 40 Year Old Virgin," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," "Knocked Up," "Superbad," "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," and a few others. He currently has four films in production or on the shelf.

"It's just speculation, but in Apatow's case, perhaps he's tasted the enormous popularity and seeks another level of film-making which he achieved with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," said Vellucci. "There were times during the film, I was actually reminded of a 1930's romantic comedy, and that speaks volumes for the movie."