| She's Out of My League | |
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| Directed by | Jim Field Smith |
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| Release date(s) | March 12, 2010 |
| Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20 million[1] |
| Box office | $49,219,151[2] |
She's Out of My League is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Jim Field Smith and written by Sean Anders and John Morris. The film has, in its starring roles, Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve, and was produced by Jimmy Miller for Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks and filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Production on the film finished in 2008. The film received its wide theatrical release on March 12, 2010.
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Kirk Kettner (Jay Baruchel) is a twenty-something TSA agent employed at the Pittsburgh International Airport along with his friends, fellow TSA agent Stainer (T. J. Miller), airline reservations agent Devon (Nate Torrence), and baggage handler Jack (Mike Vogel). Kirk has a poor track record with dating and is hoping to reconcile with his self-centered ex-girlfriend, Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), who despite having broken up with him two years earlier, and having since found a new boyfriend Ron (Hayes MacArthur), has remained close with Kirk's parents (Debra Jo Rupp and Adam LeFevre) and brother Dylan (Kyle Bornheimer).
At work one morning, a beautiful woman, Molly McCleish (Alice Eve), arrives at the passenger terminal to board a flight to New York City. While proceeding through the TSA security checkpoint, Molly's striking looks attract unwanted attention from several male TSA agents. Kirk is the only TSA agent to treat Molly courteously. Molly accidentally leaves her phone in the airport security area. Calling up her phone, Kirk answers and arranges a time to meet the following evening so that Kirk can return it.
When Devon and Kirk arrive at the Andy Warhol Museum, where Molly, a lawyer-turned-event planner, is managing an event, Kirk collides with Molly's sister, Katie (Kim Shaw) and spills his drink on the museum director. Kirk takes the blame for the incident to protect Katie, afterwhich a grateful Molly offers Kirk tickets to a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game at the Mellon Arena. When Kirk and Stainer meet Molly and her friend Patty (Krysten Ritter), who develops an immediate mutual loathing with Stainer (he subsequently refers to her as "The Hamburglar"), at the game, Kirk, still convinced Molly is not interested in him, assumes Molly meant to set him up with Patty, until Patty explicitly tells him of Molly's interest.
The two begin to date after this, with Kirk confiding in her his dream of becoming a pilot someday, though Stainer predicts their relationship will fail as he deems Molly a "10" in a scale of attractiveness, and Kirk only a "5", telling him a girl he loved once broke up with him for this very reason. Patty, for her part, believes Molly had only chosen Kirk because he was a "safe" choice after being hurt by her last boyfriend, Air Force pilot Cam (Geoff Stults), who assumes Kirk is a gay friend of Molly's when they first meet.
Molly then invites herself to Kirk's family lunch, where she charms his family and even Ron. Molly's attentions to Kirk stir jealousy in Marnie, who feels upstaged by Molly's attractiveness, and takes a sudden interest in Kirk again.
After returning to Molly's apartment, Kirk ejaculates prematurely or (spews) in his pants during sex, just as Molly's parents (played by Alice Eve's real-life parents, Sharon Maughan and Trevor Eve) arrive for a surprise visit. Desperate to conceal the stain on his pants, Kirk seems discourteous by avoiding to stand up and shake hands, and quickly leaves Molly's apartment. Molly grows cool to Kirk after this, believing he fled to avoid meeting her parents. At Jack's urging, Kirk admits the true reasons for his leaving, and their relationship resumes.
During a date, Kirk suggests to Molly that she throw a birthday party for Katie (with music provided by Stainer's Hall and Oates tribute band, "Adult Education"). Kirk is troubled, however, when Molly is intentionally vague about Kirk's line of work to her parents. He's also intrigued when Cam alludes to Molly having some sort of "defect". After the party, both of them go back to Molly's apartment, where Kirk discovers Molly's "defect" is slightly webbed toes, which Kirk considers so minor that he decides that she is indeed too perfect for him. Molly is upset that Kirk felt he could only be with her if something was wrong with her. After telling Kirk that Molly and Cam had broken up because of his own insecurities, with him even cheating on her, she admits she had indeed asked him out because she considered him safe.
Kirk leaves and later resumes his relationship with Marnie, planning on a family trip to Branson.
Stainer and Patty realize their mistake in telling Kirk and Molly it wouldn't work out; Stainer tells Kirk that he is a "10" too. They pull Kirk off his plane as the aircraft prepares to depart to Branson as he tries to leave with his family and Marnie, while Patty brings Molly to the airport. Kirk rejects Marnie during an unorthodox airport pursuit and reunites with Molly.
Later, as a surprise, Kirk takes Molly on a trip in a small plane, with himself being the pilot; he has taken flying lessons and achieved his goal.
Principal photography for the film commenced on March 31, 2008 at the Mellon Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team. Filming continued in various locations around Pittsburgh until the end of May 2008, including the Pittsburgh International Airport and The Andy Warhol Museum.[3] Mount Washington, the downtown Regional Enterprise Tower, PNC Park, Market Square, Century III Mall, and area sound stages were also used as locations for the film.[4] Pluma's Restaurant in Irwin, Pennsylvania was used for bar scenes when shooting at Mellon Arena became impossible due to the Penguins advancement to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.[5] The film was co-produced by Jimmy Miller of Mosaic Media Group, a native of Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania and the brother of comedian Dennis Miller.[6] According to Variety, it is director Jim Field Smith's first feature film.[7]
The film has received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a score of 47 on the review aggregator site Metacritic based on 28 critics[8] and a 57% "Rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 121 reviews. The consensus Rotten Tomatoes gives is, "She’s Out of My League has moments of humor and insight, but it’s bogged down by excessive vulgarity and cartoonishness."[9]
Renowned film critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars out of 4 saying, "The movie is not a comedy classic. But in a genre where so many movies struggle to lift themselves from zero to one, it's about, oh, a six point five." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 3 stars out of four, commenting, "This R-rated blend of the sweet and the raunchy has its heart in the right place."[10] Jake Tomlinson of Shave Magazine gave the movie four and a half stars out of five and praised the movie "for not throwing in cheap obstacles" and for the "good soundtrack."[11] Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post was less enthused, giving the film one star out of four: "The movie clearly aspires to rise to the smutty-but-sweet synergy of other, better films. But She's Out of My League can't touch them."[12]
The film opened at #3, behind Alice in Wonderland and Green Zone, with an estimated $9,600,000 gross.[13] As of September 10, 2010, it has grossed nearly $50 million worldwide.[13]
She's Out of My League was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 22, 2010. Early reviews have been mediocre. The majority of complaints lie in the sparse special features and the predictability of the film.[14] As of September 10, 2010, it has grossed $7,688,369 in US DVD sales.[15]