Scene Anatomy 101 04.23.08: Superbad

Posted by George H. Sirois on 04.23.2008

The Star Wars Trilogy of Comedy: Part 1 of 3…



The one thing that we constantly see in reviews is a referral to a past classic, with the critic trying to shoehorn something instantly recognizable into their blurbs about what is now in theaters. One of my favorites had a critic quoted in the commercial for Deep Blue Sea when he said it was "better than Jaws." (I wonder if that critic still has a job.) And another constant that we see is someone referring to a film in a completely different genre, then saying whatever genre in which the new film fits.

That's what I'm going to be doing here, and in the next couple of weeks, I'll be showing three different scenes from three different films. And even though each film deals with completely different characters played by different actors, when you put them together, you have what I like to call the "Star Wars Trilogy of Comedy."

Now, none of these films have a science-fiction setting to them, and like I said before, this isn't even a real trilogy. But just like the George Lucas films before them, the middle part was told first, then the ending, and after that, the beginning. (Okay, another difference would be that Lucas told his beginning in a completely separate trilogy, but work with me here.) It's only after each film is released, that's when you see what the true order of these films should be in.

So to start off our 3-week-long adventure, we're going to take a look at what was released as the third film out of the three, but should be considered the beginning of this great trilogy, the 2007 Greg Mottola hit film…



The defining element of each of these films is actor/writer Seth Rogen. In one film, he's a character in the subplot. In the next, he's part of the ensemble. And in the last, he's the lead actor. It's only fitting that since Rogen is the focal point, we start off our 3 weeks of Scene Anatomies with the film that he had the biggest hand in developing.

As co-writer and co-executive producer of Superbad, Rogen and Evan Goldberg started writing this together when they were 13 and had a draft completed when they were 15. The plot is very standard for the high school comedy genre, with the two main characters Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) taking the responsibility to get booze for a senior class party hosted by Jules (Emma Stone). If this was all the movie was, it would still be really funny and entertaining as Hill and Cera carry this plot incredibly well and both of them have way too many funny lines to conjure up here.

But the real heart of this film comes in the form of Seth and Evan's wild card. They need someone with a fake ID to get the booze for Jules' party, and one of their "friends" – a timid and nerdy looking kid named Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) – has told them that he was going to get one. However, much to their chagrin, Fogell gives himself the name "McLovin" when he gets the fake ID. No first name, just McLovin. Oh, and he's a 25-year old Hawaii native. And an organ donor.

When McLovin goes into a liquor store to get the booze, he is assaulted in a sudden robbery and from there, the film splits into two plots. Seth and Evan – convinced that the kid was getting arrested for trying to buy the liquor – try to get as much as they can from a different party to bring to Jules' house. Meanwhile, McLovin finds himself going from place to place with the cops who took all of the information about the robbery. They offer to drive McLovin to the party, but have a couple detours along the way.

Eventually, the three guys are reunited when Seth is hit by the cops' car. We see through the adventures with McLovin that Officers Slater (Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth Rogen) aren't the brightest cops in all of Clark County. They enjoy goofing off way too much and are always ready to pass the buck on to someone else, should something go wrong.

That's just what happens when McLovin and the cops run into (literally) Seth and Evan. Since their car's windshield is busted because of the accident – which happened because Michaels started using his flashlight as a lightsaber – they want to bring Seth and Evan in on an alcohol possession charge and blame them for busting up their car. On instinct, Evan gets up and runs away, and as expected, Officer Michaels runs after him. Seth and Fogell run in a different direction, and it turns out that Fogell came through with the liquor that he bought right before the robbery.

The boys make it to the party, where people know Fogell as Fogell and not McLovin, the 25-year-old organ donor from Hawaii. But his experiences with the cops and the confidence he got from succeeding in his alcohol mission have given him a whole new outlook on life. And when he sees Nicola (Aviva) dancing with someone at the party, he doesn't cower from her like he did at the beginning. Now he goes up to her, dances with her and later finds himself in bed with her.

Unfortunately for him, as soon as things really start to move for Fogell, his old friends Slater and Michaels are in the midst of clearing out the party. The combination of underage drinking and probable complaints from neighbors is too good for any cop to resist, and as Jules' house is emptied, Slater goes upstairs to toss out anyone that may still be around. He turns on the bedroom light.

SLATER: All right, everybody out. Come on, let's go.

And immediately, Nicola screams and jumps off the bed, grabbing a blanket to cover herself and running into the bathroom.

SLATER: McLovin! What the fuck?

FOGELL: Officer Slater, is that you?

Fogell struggles to find his glasses as Slater yells at him. Slater is confused about the whole situation, and very upset since Fogell not only ran away from them, but also helped Seth and Evan escape from being arrested and blamed for the car's busted windshield.

The whole time, as Slater keeps yelling at him, Fogell tries to work up the nerve to explain himself.

SLATER: You ran away from us. Why'd you run away from us? Michaels, get up here!

FOGELL: No, I didn't run away.

SLATER: What the fuck? Why would you do that?

FOGELL: I was disoriented from…

Slater then points towards the bathroom, referring to Nicola.

SLATER: Were you violating that girl? You just violated her with your penis? Michaels, look!

Michaels walks upstairs and smiles when he sees Fogell. He's nowhere near as mad as Slater. He's confused, but not angry.

MICHAELS: McLovin!

At that moment, Nicola runs out of the bathroom and past the cops. She's dressed, but she left her shoes in the bedroom. Michaels turns and watches her leave, and everything quickly falls into place for him. Much quicker for him than Slater, who's still angry.

MICHAELS: Holy shit, were you just getting laid?

FOGELL: No… yes, I was, but…

Michaels nods and smiles like a proud parent.

MICHAELS: Yes. Yes, he was!

FOGELL: But it's not what you think, guys! I'm not even…

Fogell tries to get up, but Slater's still heated over the whole situation. He's so angry that Michaels has to pull him aside and calm him down.

SLATER: Sit the fuck down. Stay the fuck down!

MICHAELS: Calm down.

Slater points an accusing finger at Fogell, as Michaels pulls him away. Slater keeps yelling over Michaels' shoulder.

SLATER: I thought we were friends, and then you go running away!

MICHAELS: Contain yourself.

SLATER: We're friends!

MICHAELS: Shut up. Calm down, calm down man.

Finally, Slater calms down enough to listen to his partner.

SLATER: Why? What?

Michaels talks to him in a low whisper so that Fogell can't hear him.

MICHAELS: You just cock-blocked McLovin. Okay? He's our friend. We don't do that. We should be guiding his cock, not blocking it. Just relax, okay? We'll make this right.

The tension in the room starts to dissipate, and Fogell uses the moment to take a breath from his asthma inhaler. Slater and Michaels then walk over to Fogell and sit down on the bed, surrounding him. Fogell starts to panic even more now.

FOGELL: Wait, what are you… what are you guys doing? No, please, I can't go to jail. I can't go to jail.

Slater speaks to Fogell in his normal calm voice. The anger has left him, and it's time for he and Michaels to come clean on something.

SLATER: No, look. We're… we're really sorry, McLovin. This has gone on… this has gone on way too far.

FOGELL: What are you talking about?

Michaels breaks the news to Fogell.

MICHAELS: We know you're not 25, man. We're not idiots, McLovin.

FOGELL: Did you know the whole time?

Michaels' shrug of the shoulders is his way of saying that they may not have known the whole time, but at least they figured it out at some point. Slater goes on to explain what they had in mind for Fogell all along.

SLATER: Look, when we were your age, we hated cops. When we saw you in the liquor store today, we just… I guess we saw a bit of ourselves, you know, and we just wanted to show you that… you know, cops can have a fun time too, you know?

What Slater and Michaels represent is the possibility of what guys like Seth and Evan could be like if they stayed together and never left the town. Both of them have similar body types to Seth and Evan. Hell, the one who comes off as more of a slacker – Michaels – is played by SETH Rogen, while Slater's angry eruption at Fogell is very similar to Evan telling Seth how much time he has wasted by hanging out with him.

MICHAELS: You know, in a way, I think we wanted to show ourselves.

Fogell nods, understanding what they're saying. Slater hesitates before speaking again.

SLATER: Also, I'm… I'm really sorry… that I blocked your cock.

FOGELL: Apology accepted.

MICHAELS: Seriously, man.

And in a very awkward moment, all three of them share a group hug as Nicola sneaks back inside to grab her shoes.

FOGELL: I missed you guys.

Now that everyone's friends again and there are no more hard feelings, Slater still feels guilty for stopping Fogell from getting laid.

SLATER: I just wish we could make it up to you somehow, man.

But then, a light bulb goes on over Fogell's head. He's got these two cops here that have already shown both authority and intimidation by clearing out Jules' party. Might as well put them to good use.

FOGELL: Well, do you think you can do me a really big favor?

SLATER: What is it? Anything. Name it.

We cut to the outside of the house, where many of the kids are still hanging out. Nicola is one of them, talking to one of her friends.

Slater and Michaels drag Fogell out of the house. He is in handcuffs and jumping around with his shirt open like he is auditioning for COPS.

SLATER: This kid's fucking crazy.

MICHAELS: Stay back for your own safety.

FOGELL: Get off me, you fucking cops. Get your hands off. Do you know who I am? I'm Fogell! The joint can't hold me!

One of the kids watches with amazement, showing the kind of reaction this was supposed to provoke.

KID: Holy shit, Fogell's a badass.

Slater opens the back door to their car and shoves Fogell inside. He is making sure to speak loudly so that all the kids can hear him.

SLATER: Well, we caught the infamous Fogell.

Fogell leans out and yells to Nicola as he is being shoved into the car.

FOGELL: Wait for me, Nicola! Wait for me on the outside!

Slater and Michaels get into the car, and as soon as they are in, both of them smile. The plan worked to perfection.

SLATER: Man, that's gonna get you so much ass.

And then they drive off into the night, the two Clark County police officers and the 25-year-old organ donor from Hawaii that still has yet to graduate high school.

Like I said before, if Superbad was just all about Seth and Evan getting liquor for Jules' party, it would have still been funny but it would have missed that special spark that the subplot had. While the two lead characters are Seth and Evan, it's Fogell that goes through the biggest changes. When we first see him, he's running away from Nicola like a scared little kid. By the end of the film, he's becoming a man before our very eyes as he's in bed with the very girl he ran away from before.

It's only right that Fogell / McLovin is played by an unknown – Christopher Mintz-Plasse – because just like Annie Wilkes in Misery, the less baggage he has, the better the character becomes. We don't know what to expect from him and we have no idea how he would handle the adventure in store for him, so it's even more of a rewarding experience when we see how he develops before the film is over. And just like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV, all it took was the right mentor – in Fogell's case, mentors – to introduce him to a whole new world. Before Slater and Michaels, Fogell was just talking about the kind of life he wanted. After them, he was living the dream.

Being a 25-year-old organ donor from Hawaii with one name has its privileges.

Until next week, Class Dismissed!


-- George H. Sirois