They Came Together (2014)

A small business owner is about to lose her shop to a major corporate development.

Director:

David Wain

Writers:

Michael Showalter, David Wain

Stars:

Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Rudd	...	Joel
Amy Poehler	...	Molly
Bill Hader	...	Kyle
Ellie Kemper	...	Karen
Cobie Smulders	...	Tiffany
Noureen DeWulf	...	Melanie
Jason Mantzoukas	...	Bob
Michael Ian Black	...	Trevor
Michaela Watkins	...	Habermeyer
Randall Park	...	Martinson
Christopher Meloni	...	Roland
Teyonah Parris	...	Wanda
Ed Helms	...	Eggbert
David Wain	...	Keith
Jack McBrayer	...	Oliver

Storyline

In New York City, couple Joel and Molly are having dinner with their couple friends, Kyle and Karen. In the general discussion of their respective relationships and how they met, Joel and Molly, in telling their story, say that it is exactly like a corny romantic comedy. The story they end up telling not only has every romantic comedy cliché thrown in, but it is told in the style of a romantic comedy, complete with crazy characters who should be smarter to figure out a smoother path to a happy ending for Joel and Molly. But that one romantic comedy element that is the big payoff may not be reality, or perhaps it is.

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Plot Keywords:

spoof | racism | new york city | halloween party | halloween | 

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Taglines:

He came...She came...They both came.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 2014 (UK)

Also Known As:

Beraber Geldiler

Filming Locations:

Arsenal Bar, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie has much of the cast from Wet Hot American Summer (2001), including, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Ken Marino, Christopher Meloni, Michael Ian Black, Writer Michael Showalter, and Writer David Wain.

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Goofs

When Joel and Molly are seated in the big picture window of a coffee shop, gabbing, the sign for the subway stop across the street, although partially obscured, clearly says "__ Street Subway Station" (around the 31-minute mark). A minute later, the same sign says, "Upper W. Side Subway Station". (Of course neither sign really exists along the 2/3 line, which services my neighborhood.)

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Quotes

Joel: Give me another one, make it a double.
Bartender: You look like you had a bad day.
Joel: Heh, tell me about it.
Bartender: Well, you came in here looking like crap and you haven't said very much.
Joel: You can say that again.
Bartender: Well, you came in here looking like crap and you haven't said very much.

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Crazy Credits

Shot on location in New York City, which is almost like another character.

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Connections

Referenced in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp: Lunch (2015)

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Soundtracks

Hooray for Liberties
Written by Terrance Topley
Performed by Terrance Topley

User Reviews

They Came Together is the same joke for 80 minutes. Thankfully, the joke is funny.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie. It seemed like it was going to poke fun at romcoms while still maintaining a grounded story and genuine romance. Yeah, that's not the case at all.

They Came Together is the epitome of meta comedy. It never takes itself seriously for a second and continues to barrage you with joke after joke after joke, spoofing the same romantic comedy tropes we've seen a billion times. It may sound repetitive, and it can be at times (some scenes go on for too long) but it's also the most refreshing satire I've seen in a long time. There is no point where you should be analyzing the plot to this movie. If you do, you're an idiot. Simple as that. The movie is one long joke - if you want some artistic integrity in your comedies then this movie is not for you. If you love to laugh at the expense of cheesy romcoms, then you're in for a real treat.

The acting in this movie is superb, if the all-star cast didn't already give that away. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler are ace in their roles as lead caricatures, and even during the dumber moments they still give believable performances. Let me clarify: you don't believe anything the characters are doing are real, but they're convincing enough in their roles that you understand exactly what it is they're making fun of and it works wonders. Christopher Meloni is another highlight - he plays a Don Draper-esque boss that all the corporate drones follow blindly (with Paul Rudd's character being the obvious exception). I never viewed him as a comedic figure but he absolutely owns this role; the only other actor I can see doing this role justice is Jon Hamm himself. Other standouts include Jason Mantzoukas as Bob, the friendly awkward coworker, and Ed Helms playing the cliché douchebag that the girl falls for even though he's clearly wrong for her.

The best part about They Came Together is that it's wholly self-aware. It breaks the fourth wall more than a few times, and it doesn't take you out of the movie because you're never really in the movie to begin with. It's like watching an 80 minute long sketch comedy held together by a flimsy love plot. Another positive is that the movie never gets boring. It's so short and so eccentric you don't have time to get bored. Again, it's joke after joke after joke - most of them are cheesy, some are crude, but they're all so relatable as romantic comedy jabs that you can't help but laugh at the stupidity.

They Came Together is definitely not for everyone - if you're looking for substance, go somewhere else. This movie is pure satire from beginning to end. Nothing is believable, and none of it should be. It's a spoof movie at its core, standing head-and-shoulders above other spoofs due to great writing and a brilliant cast. Why this has such a low score on IMDb I will never know. I got everything I wanted from this movie and more. Throw in a few surprise cameos and you have yourself a winner.