Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Peter Bretter’s dream project is a rock opera about Dracula, performed entirely with puppets, and it’s somehow the most sincere thing in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The rest of the movie runs on one long, ugly cry. Jason Segel sobs through a big chunk of 111 minutes at a resort, and while that’s the joke, it stays in the room long after it stops being funny. The trick is that nobody here is a cartoon. Kristen Bell’s Sarah isn’t a villain, just someone who outgrew the relationship first. Russell Brand plays Aldous Snow, the new boyfriend, as so relaxed and so friendly that Peter can’t even hate him properly. Mila Kunis makes Rachel easygoing and sharp, though she’s written more as a cure than a person. Paul Rudd’s laid-back surf instructor is a perfect small role. Critics gave it 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 7.1 because it’s kinder and smarter than a breakup comedy has to be. $6,987 says you start sketching your own puppet musical on a napkin before the week is out.

What works: Nobody is a cartoon villain, Russell Brand is a scene thief, and the Dracula puppet musical is a perfect oddball payoff.

What doesn’t: Peter’s crying jag goes on for too long, and Rachel is written more as a reward for him than a full person.

Who it’s for: People nursing a breakup who want to laugh at someone handling it worse than they are.