Romantic comedy celebrates the underdog

Monday, March 15, 2010 - 7:19 PM

The anticipated underdog-romantic comedy film “She’s Out of My League” hit theaters last weekend and brought with it a torrent of laughs and a feel-good story.

In the film, Jay Baruchel (“Tropic Thunder”) plays Kirk, a nerdy Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at the Pittsburgh airport who has less than fabulous luck with women. Falling in line with the usual underdog story line, he stays fixated on his last ex-girlfriend Marnie, played by Lindsay Sloane (“The Accidental Husband”), who constantly rejects him but is a constant fixture in his family’s home.

When beautiful, blonde entrepreneur Molly, played by Alice Eve (“Crossing Over”), walks through the airport security line one day and leaves her phone behind, Kirk thinks nothing of it; however, it becomes increasingly obvious that she is attracted to him, which for Kirk is completely unheard of. He seeks advice from his friends Stainer, played by T.J. Miller (“Extract”), Jack, played by Mike Vogel (“Cloverfield”), and Devon, played by Nate Torrence (“Get Smart”) who all tell him the same thing: he’s a 5, and Molly is a ten, and you can’t bridge a gap that large.

Determined to prove them wrong, Kirk sets out to woo the beautiful girl, but he continues to come face-to-face with his self-esteem issues as he encounters people from Molly’s charmed life.

The typical romantic comedy falling-out occurs when Kirk lets his perceived inadequacies get the best of him, and he has a minor mental breakdown while on a date with Molly. Through the help of his friends, he eventually realizes the moral of the story: you are only as good as you believe you are.

While the jokes in the film did get vulgar and slightly inappropriate at times, the jokes didn’t cross the line into over-the-top offensive, which was surprising for a movie of this type.

The casting of the film was done well, with a great mash-up of actors and character chemistry. Baruchel plays up his awkwardness to perfection and plays a great nerdy, unlikely hero, and seeing Debra Jo Rupp (“That 70’s Show”) as Kirk’s mother was a great surprise.

Overall, this film was thoroughly enjoyable. It was funny in the right parts, and the plot points didn’t become romantic to the point that they were unbelievable.

So, if you’re looking for a few laughs over spring break, “She’s Out of My League” is in theaters now.

‘She’s Out of My League’

Release Date: Mar. 12

Director: Jim Field Smith

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Rating: R for language and sexual content

Grade: B+