‘Superbad’ Garnered Praise From Big-Time Hollywood Directors Like James L. Brooks and Cameron Crowe
As far as coming-of-age movies go, Superbad is among the top ones. The 2009 movie helped launch the careers of its stars and has since become a cult classic. After its release, Superbad received critical acclaim and garnered praise from big-time Hollywood directors like James L. Brooks and Cameron Crowe.
‘Superbad’ is based on Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s real lives
Superbad is a teen movie that follows Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s characters as they navigate the final hours of high school before setting off to college. The movie narrates the story of the three awkward high school seniors who, despite their unpopularity, manage to secure invites to a cool party at the end of the school year.
The group is determined to lose their virginity and score some cool points before leaving for college. But the trio eventually realizes that things aren’t as black and white as they appear and face several obstacles along the way. Superbad premiered in 2007 and was a critical and commercial success earning over $150 million at the box office.
The movie came from writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. They began writing it as teenagers and, as absurd as they are, some of the events actually happened in real life. For instance, the scene where Cera’s character Evan gets stuck in a room with strange men doing cocaine and who coerce him to sing, actually happened by Rogen’s account.
‘Superbad’ garnered praise from big-time Hollywood directors
Aside from becoming a box office hit, Superbad earned critical acclaim. In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, the cast and crew of Superbad reminisced about the movie and its significance to their careers. Judd Apatow, who produced the movie, recalled receiving a “really kind note” from a famous filmmaker who congratulated him on the movie’s success.
“I remember when it came out, James L. Brooks [The Simpsons, As Good as It Gets] sent me a really kind note that said he went to it with his son — who was in high school — and a bunch of his friends,” said Apatown. “And it felt like it was the first time that they all realized that they loved each other.” The producer said it was “the best compliment the film could have received.”
Apatow also revealed that he invited Cameron Crowe [Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous] to the test screening because the filmmaker inspired him. Hill said that after the screening, Crowe approached him and Cera and said, “That was insane.”
Other people who loved the movie
Superbad is one of the few coming-of-age movies that has stood the test of time. From its debut to today, it still remains a funny movie, and those who attended the screening agreed. Cera recalled seeing actor Bob Odenkirk laughing throughout the movie.
He told Vanity Fair that he “felt really great that people were digging it.” There was a lot of anticipation that audiences wouldn’t go for it, but after screening it for close friends and family, “it blew the roof off the place.”
