Crazy, Stupid, Love

''Crazy, Stupid, Love'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. It follows a recently separated man who seeks to rediscover his manhood and is taught how to pick up women at bars.

The film was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on July 29, 2011, grossing over $142 million against its $50 million budget and was well-received by critics. Gosling was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance.

Plot

Cal Weaver is a middle-aged man whose wife Emily asks for a divorce after she reveals an affair she had with co-worker David Lindhagen. After moving into his own apartment, Cal begins frequenting an upscale bar, talking loudly about his divorce, until he attracts the attention of a young man named Jacob Palmer. Jacob, a womanizer who beds different women each night, was recently rejected by a woman named Hannah. Jacob takes pity on Cal and offers to teach him how to pick up women. After a few awkward attempts to talk to women, Cal seduces Kate at the bar. This experience gives Cal the confidence to approach other women, and Cal begins to emulate Jacob's example successfully.

Eventually, Cal and Emily reunite at their 13-year-old son Robbie's parent-teacher conference, where Emily is impressed by Cal's newfound confidence and fitted clothes. Their reunion goes well until Robbie's teacher is revealed as Kate, who shares with Emily that she and Cal have had sex. Cal inadvertently confesses to having sex with nine women since their separation and Emily leaves in disgust. Meanwhile, Hannah, a recent law school graduate, is offended by her boyfriend as he offered her a position as a permanent lawyer instead of proposing to her. She returns to the bar where she originally rejected Jacob's advances, finds him, and asks if he still wants to take her home. Jacob takes her back to his luxurious home, but instead of becoming physically intimate, they spend the night talking and laughing until they both fall asleep.

Cal and Emily's son Robbie makes numerous grand gestures to try to win the heart of Jessica Riley, his 17-year-old babysitter, who has a crush on Cal. At the advice of a classmate, Jessica takes nude photos of herself, intending to send them to Cal. Emily calls Cal under the guise of needing help with the house's pilot light, but Cal sees through the ruse. Realizing that she called just because she missed him, Cal decides to win her back. Jacob returns Cal's calls and asks for advice about being in a real relationship and meeting his girlfriend's parents. Jessica's mother discovers the naked photos and Jessica's father, Bernie, rushes to the Weaver residence to confront him about the photos, with Jessica in pursuit. Cal and his kids create a makeshift mini golf set in their backyard to remind Emily of their first date. During the gathering, Jacob and Hannah show up at the house, and Hannah is revealed to be Cal and Emily's first daughter born to them right out of high school. Cal is appalled that Jacob is dating his daughter, and forbids her from seeing him. Bernie shows up and attacks Cal. Jessica arrives and tells her father that Cal knew nothing of the pictures. David arrives on the scene to return Emily's sweater from a previous date. When Jacob identifies him, he punches David in the face for the pain he caused Cal. Cal, Jacob, David, and Bernie then get into a scuffle