Have the Russell Brand and Mila Kunis controversies ruined this beloved 2008 comedy?
Russell Brand and Mila Kunis both became movie stars in this Judd Apatow-produced film, which critics say had “more heart” than some of Apatow’s other famous films of the 2000s
Some may argue that lumping Russell Brand and Mila Kunis together is unfair, but both have been at the center of heated news cycles in the last 10 days due to revelations that have threatened to “cancel” them professionally and culturally.
They both made their film debuts in the 2008 hit comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Fans of the Judd Apatow-produced film must now wonder if they can still enjoy the film — which features a mix of crass humor, smart writing, and heartfelt romance — with the same glee. A still from the film has gone viral on the internet.
The Brand revelations have been extremely upsetting. In U.K. news investigative reports, the comedian and actor has been accused of raping, sexually assaulting, and emotionally abusing four women, including a 16-year-old girl with whom he had a three-month relationship.
These alleged abuses took place between 2006 and 2013, when he was a rising star on British television and in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek,” and a remake of “Arthur.” Brand, best known for his provocative “Under the Skin” podcast, has vehemently denied any assault, but the allegations are now in the hands of the London Metropolitan Police, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, while Kunis did not cause any harm, she is reportedly concerned about being “cancelled” because she praised the “excellent moral character” of her longtime friend and TV co-star, Danny Masterson, after he was convicted of two counts of rape.
Kunis became one of Hollywood’s most likable and relatable female stars after appearing in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” in which she played the love interest of star/writer Jason Segal. But Kunis harmed that good will by writing glowing character letters about Masterson, along with her husband Ashton Kutcher, ahead of his Sept. 7 sentencing to 30 years to life in prison.
Kunis and Kutcher then made matters worse for themselves by issuing a widely panned video apology. Both the letters and the apology video, in which Kunis appeared befuddled and irritated by the controversy, convinced many on the internet that the actor didn’t seem to understand how her “tone-deaf” defense of Masterson made her complicit in a “rape culture” that allowed her celebrity friend to avoid accountability for his crimes for nearly 20 years.
With the double whammy of the Brand and Kunis controversies, fans of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” may feel compelled to cancel the film as well, especially given Brand’s character, a flamboyant British rocker named Aldous Snow, whose boasts about his love-making prowess are used for comic effect.
After a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom revealed Brand’s sexual assault allegations, the Daily Mail uncovered some telling comments made about the comedian by Kristen Bell, who played the title character Sarah Marshall.
Sarah (Bell) is a self-absorbed TV star who dumps her boyfriend, Peter (Segal), a struggling musician, for Brand’s Aldous Snow. The plot revolves around Peter’s trip to a Hawaiian resort in the hopes of “forgetting” Sarah. However, romantic comedy complications arise when Peter meets Sarah and Aldous, who are also on vacation at the same resort. Fortunately, he finds more than just friendship with Rachel, a smart and sympathetic resort employee played by Kunis.
According to the Daily Mail, while promoting the release of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in 2008, Bell stated that she was aware of Brand’s reputation for aggressively coming on to women. “He didn’t try to mess with me or get in my pants,” she said in an interview. He knew I’d sever his (expletive).”
According to the Daily Mail, Bell also said in another interview that she “intimidated” Brand and threatened him not to try anything. “I made it very clear from the start that if he tried anything, I would sock him in the (expletive).” As a result, he was intimidated.” However, Bell also stated that she “loved” working with Brand, according to the Daily Mail.
“I may be the only woman in the world who would shout that from the rooftops,” Bell said, “but I did.”
“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was produced by Apatow’s film factory, which specialized in modern misadventures of schlubby, emotionally stunted men.
However, critics praised “Sarah Marshall” for having more heart than some of Apatow’s previous films, and credited Segal’s screenplay, in which he also created two vibrant female characters, played by Bell and Kunis.
Bill Simmons’ “The Rewatchables” podcast devoted an entire episode to the glories of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in 2019, with co-host Sean Fennessey saying, “This is a populist comedy that also has something to say.” “It’s really rare to have a movie with two awesome, super likable actresses playing really good characters,” Simmons added.
Tara Watson, senior entertainment producer for the Australian website Mamamia.com, wrote over the weekend about how the cast of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” has had a “bad week.” “It was (by far!) my favorite movie in my early 2000s: I would watch it when I needed to self-soothe, I would quote from it endlessly, and I practically based my entire personality around it,” Watson reflected.
Unfortunately for “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Brand and Kunis aren’t the only cast members who have received negative press in recent months, as Watson pointed out.
Watson reported that Bell had some “brushes” with “near cancellation” recently. Over the summer, Bell and her husband Dax Shepard were chastised for exaggerating their family’s suffering when they were forced to spend the night at Boston’s Logan International Airport due to flight delays. According to BuzzFeed News, followers claimed that the couple, who described spending $600 on bedsheets, blankets, and neck pillows, could have found a hotel room within a 50-mile radius and wondered if they even made up the airport story. The “Veronica Mars” star also sparked outrage by posting a photo of herself with Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Jimmy Kimmel, but no people of color.
Future star Jonah Hill appears in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” as another resort employee in a small, breakout role. Hill’s ex-girlfriend, surfer Sarah Brady, accused the Oscar-nominated “Superbad” actor of “emotional abuse” in a series of screenshots of their alleged text exchanges that she shared online in July.
According to the texts Brady shared, Hill provided a list of “boundaries” he needed to maintain his relationship with Brady. Brady was barred from surfing with men, wearing swimwear on Instagram, having “boundaryless, inappropriate friendships with men,” and having “friendships with women who are in unstable places.” All of the attention on Hill’s alleged boundaries prompted therapists and many online to claim that the actor was misusing language in therapist in an attempt to “control” his girlfriend professionally and personally.
