The Way ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ Treats Sarah Marshall Is Not Okay

The big picture

• Forgetting Sarah Marshall
  evil its titular character, Sarah Marshall, without properly telling her side of the story, making it difficult to accept the film's final conclusion.
• The film misses an opportunity to explore the complexities of a failed relationship by not fully acknowledging Peter's role in the disappearance, instead portraying him as the victim and Sarah as the villain.
• The film's double standard is evident, as Peter is rewarded with a new love affair, while Sarah is left miserable and portrayed as pathetic and unloved. The film treats Sarah as a catalyst for Peter's growth and happiness, rather than a fully developed character.

Although Forgetting Sarah Marshall is one of the best romantic comedies of the last two decades, but it has one major flaw: the way in which the titular character is openly evil. Ditching the schmaltz often associated with the genre and swapping it for genuine human emotion and a healthy dose of left-wing, Forgetting Sarah Marshall it was a breath of fresh air when it came out in 2008 and it still holds up fifteen years later. However, the film has a bone to pick with Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), without trying to properly tell his side of the story. His actions in the film are painful, but the extreme one-sidedness of the story makes it difficult to accept the film's final conclusion, which can ultimately be summed up by saying, “Of course, Peter had a equal role to play in the demise of his relationship with Sarah, but he deserves happiness, while Sarah deserves to be punished for her foreseeable future.”

How does Sarah Marshall screw up “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”?

ironically, Forgetting Sarah Marshall it works so well because both Peter and Sarah are equally flawed. Although Sarah's actions initially seem unrelated and overly cruel, her character (and their relationship) are given additional layers when she tells Peter (Jason Segel) everything he did to keep their relationship intact. He goes off on a heartbreaking tangent, revealing the various seminars he attended, the books he read, and the therapists he saw to mend what was left of what was ultimately an irreparably broken union. When she breaks down, Peter is forced to face the things he did, or rather didn't do, that contributed to the end of their five-year relationship.

At this point in the film, it seems as if Forgetting Sarah Marshall will take an unexpectedly ripe left turn. The scene described above has an intensity and nuance that is deeply uncharacteristic of an often fluffy genre. Jason Segel gives his performance real vulnerability and a sense of accomplishment in this scene, if only for a few shots and later wasted by the way Peter reacts to Sarah's willingness to rekindle their romance. Peter seems to understand and see Sarah for the first time when he explains that her lack of effort and general disinterest in life led her to seek outside companionship. Although the movie never had to apologize or even forgive Sarah for cheating on Peter, the years of pain and lack of love are evident, coming from both sides and directed at each other. The other.

Peter is clearly guilty of neglect, spending a large part of his selfless relationship participating in life with Sarah and spending weeks at a time in sweatpants. Instead of admitting his own role in the failure of their relationship, Peter jokes that the only reason she was upset was that her sweatpants were from Costco and not Sean John. While this can be seen as Peter going off the rails, it just makes him look like an overgrown man-child who doesn't want to take responsibility. Unfortunately, this is a missed opportunity to explore how two well-meaning people can hurt each other through selfishness without even trying, revealing the harsh realities of keeping a long-term romantic relationship alive and well.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” rewards Peter and punishes Sarah

Forgetting Sarah Marshall it's told almost exclusively from Peter's point of view, so to some extent it absolutely makes sense that he would be more sympathetic to his character. However, after the scene during which Peter realizes that he is not the only victim of the situation, it would have been beneficial for his character to have shown some grace towards Sarah. The fact that he is so close to having sex with Sarah right after starting a new, albeit undefined relationship with Rachel (Mila Kunis) shows that it has not progressed as far as it should. Rachel's reaction is completely natural and understandable, even though it shows her the grace, patience, and understanding that Peter is unwilling to give Sarah.

The film is particularly mean to Sarah, going so far as to make sure she's miserable the whole time and really understands what's going on with her. The film ends with Aldous dumping it (Russell Brand), which does seem fitting for the way she's handling her breakup with Peter. She's undeniably a shallow character, but she's clearly in desperate need of validation, and Peter's lack of concern and needed attention eventually drives her into the very smug and arrogant arms of Aldous Snow, a rock star who makes her feel like a living time again. Sarah needs companionship and love just as much as Peter, who, as we've established, is just as guilty of sabotaging their relationship. Yet the film dwells seemingly endlessly on Sarah's suffering, framing it in a satisfying light. Instead of treating Sarah as a person, we're forced to see her pathetic and unloved, faking orgasms to win Peter back and lose her life as an actress. Peter, on the other hand, is given the gift of winning over Rachel, a lovely, beautiful, funny and empathetic person who forgives and understands his mistakes. Rachel has no desire to punish Peter further, she knows that his mistakes do not define him.

The film's conclusion reveals a double standard

In short, the most worrying thing Forgetting Sarah Marshall is that Peter, the audience surrogate, literally tells Sarah to her face that she is the demon, indicating to the audience what the film thinks of her character. There's no redemption arc for her, although it's made abundantly clear that she recognizes how she manipulated, abused, and lied to Peter. Although Peter similarly acknowledges the problems with his behavior during their relationship, he continues to play the victim, and the film rewards him for it.

The fact that Sarah never comes to any kind of peace and instead simply becomes the butt of a joke by the end of the film (ahem, animal instincts) shows that the film wasn't interested in her as a person to begin with, but as a catalyst for Peter's own growth and ultimate happiness. The film is sweeter and more human when it focuses on the growing relationship between Peter and Rachel. Segel and Kunis have excellent chemistry and really carry what would unfortunately be little more than a cinematic exercise in vindication. Peter is a lovable loser, but the film's animosity towards Sarah Marshall is not a good look.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is currently available to stream on Max in the US

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