Trainwreck: A Hilarious Yet Overlong, Unromantic, and Explicit Rom-Com About a Woman Who Doesn’t Believe in Love
This movie tells the story of Amy Townsend, who was taught from a young age that monogamy is a fool’s game. After Amy’s father divorced her mother, he instilled in his daughters the belief that casual encounters were superior to committed relationships. Amy (Amy Schumer) took this lesson to heart. Now, she works for a “men’s” magazine, sleeps with whomever she pleases, drinks and smokes weed regularly, and can’t understand why her younger sister Kim (Brie Larson) rebelled against their father’s teachings by getting married and having a child. One day, Amy’s editor (Tilda Swinton) sends her to interview sports doctor Aaron (Bill Hader). After the interview ends in bed, Amy assumes she won’t see him again. However, much to her dismay, he asks her on a date, and Amy soon realizes she’s falling in love, even though it was never part of her plan.
.jpg “Still from “Trainwreck””)
As we’ve previously mentioned, Amy Schumer is one of the most talked-about comedians in the United States. Her popular sketch show, “Inside Amy Schumer,” consistently delivers hilarious “viral” videos that illustrate modern feminist ideas. Schumer is so respected that only “racial radicals” dare to criticize her among her supporters. They argue that she doesn’t focus enough on minority issues and sometimes makes overly risky ethnic jokes, such as, “I used to date Mexicans, but now I prefer consensual sex.” And, in general, it would be better if she were a dark-skinned lesbian instead of a white blonde.
.jpg “Still from “Trainwreck””)
Since Schumer rose to fame recently, she hasn’t had many opportunities to shine in movies. “Trainwreck” is her first leading role on the big screen. Schumer not only plays Amy Townsend but also created her, writing the script for “Trainwreck” and incorporating events and experiences from her own life. The renowned comedy director and producer Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) simply had to direct the film, making “Trainwreck” more of a Schumer creation than an Apatow one.
.jpg “Still from “Trainwreck””)
The Heart of the Film: Family Dynamics
Where does the real Amy Schumer end and the fictional Amy Townsend begin in the film? It’s easy to tell, even if you don’t know the film’s backstory. The most compelling and heartfelt moments in “Trainwreck” are Amy’s family scenes with Kim and their father, who is dying in a nursing home. The main character’s eulogy alone is something many people who believe their parents are both the best and worst people they know would relate to! Honestly, Schumer and Apatow should have focused the film on the main character’s family triangle and Amy’s relationship with her father. However, they understood that only arthouse enthusiasts would want to see such a dark film. So, this important plotline for the screenwriter was relegated to a secondary storyline, while the heart of “Trainwreck” became the positive romantic story of Amy and Aaron. The idea was, “Viewers will come for the rom-com, and we’ll sneak in something sad and family-wrenching!”
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The role of LeBron James was written specifically for him. Amy Schumer really wanted the basketball player to be in her film.
A Rom-Com That Misses the Mark
It’s not a bad plan, except for one problem: the heart of the film doesn’t beat. As one might expect from a feminist, Schumer turned the traditional rom-com plot of reforming the “bad boy” inside out and created a story about a woman who has long lost count of her casual lovers and who, at the beginning of the film, doesn’t even think about settling down. In turn, Aaron behaves like rom-com heroines usually do – he dreams of a respectable family life, charms his sweetheart’s relatives, and regularly consults with his “best friend,” who turns out to be basketball superstar LeBron James (since Aaron treats athletes, he’s friends with many celebrities).
.jpg “Still from “Trainwreck””)
Yes, you read that right – James doesn’t just appear in a couple of scenes but plays a fairly long role in the film, and he’s surprisingly good at a “sensitive” parody of himself. That is, in the role of a guy who loves “Downton Abbey,” genuinely cares about his friend’s personal life, tries to help him in every way, and, when he meets Amy, sternly asks what her “intentions” are regarding Aaron.
.jpg “Still from “Trainwreck””)
One of the roles in the film was played by 100-year-old actor Norman Lloyd, who debuted on Broadway in 1927 and has been acting in films since World War II. Despite his age, he didn’t need any special treatment and worked on the film on par with his younger colleagues.
It would seem that everything is in order – the plot for the rom-com isn’t the most standard, the jokes are unexpected, and there’s a powerful comedic “support group” for the main characters in the form of James, wrestler John Cena (he played Amy’s ex-boyfriend who sleeps with girls but can’t help but think about the attractiveness of men), comedians from the sketch show “Saturday Night Live,” and the barely recognizable Tilda Swinton as a heartless “hellish” boss. But there’s a complete lack of romantic spark between Schumer and Hader, and both of their characters are so boring and unenergetic that it’s impossible to root for their personal happiness. They certainly have charm, but charm alone isn’t enough. Compare Amy and Aaron, for example, with the characters of Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake from “Friends with Benefits,” and you’ll immediately see what we mean. And while Schumer is still trying, Hader is just an empty space.
.jpg “Still from “Trainwreck””)
Final Thoughts: A Missed Opportunity
In principle, we could end here. A rom-com without a convincing love line should be scrapped immediately, unless it’s overflowing with other virtues. However, it’s worth noting that “Trainwreck” is not only unconvincing as a romantic film but also unforgivably long. Two hours is too much for this kind of movie. The film could easily have been cut down to an hour and a half without losing any meaning. What else can be said about the film? That Schumer loves extremely explicit “raunchy” jokes, and if you don’t like talking about “that” and the corresponding scenes, then you shouldn’t go to “Trainwreck.” Also, this isn’t a film for admirers of model-like women – Schumer herself often mentions in her sketches that she’s not as beautiful as many of her fellow actresses. Finally, viewers who are unfamiliar with American sports will find the comedic scenes that list events from LeBron James’s life and mention other American athletes boring and incomprehensible.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Schumer didn’t completely turn the traditional plot inside out. When “bad boys” in rom-coms have casual sex, they enjoy it with beautiful women. Remember, for example, the main character of the comedy “What’s Your Number?” Amy, on the other hand, sleeps with strange weirdos in “Trainwreck,” and she clearly doesn’t enjoy it but is just going through the motions – fulfilling her father’s commandment, which doesn’t suit her. So, the decision to build a life with Aaron for her isn’t a rejection of carefree happiness for the sake of responsible happiness but a rejection of an endless nightmare for the sake of normal existence. Is this a sign of growing up, which such films usually promote? Or is “Trainwreck” that rare rom-com that promotes not love and not growing up, but common sense?