Why would a 10 go for a 5? That’s the question asked in She’s Out of My League, where lanky geekboy, Kirk (Jay Baruchel) who works for airport security with secret dreams of becoming a pilot, meets and falls for Molly (Alice Eve), the perfect woman. Molly is not only gorgeous, she’s smart, an ex-lawyer-turned-event planner/entrepreneur who goes for Kirk because she’s tired of being treated like just another pretty face.
This is not an original scenario. Hollywood has been cranking out these “dork gets the girl” movies forever, we imagine because many filmmakers/screenwriters were once nerdy, skinny, sports allergic young men themselves, and this is their chance to hire whichever gorgeous actress necessary to play out their childhood dream scenario onscreen.
We meet Kirk stuck in his dead-end airport security job, not pursuing anything beyond that and making little knick-knack gifts for his ex, Marnie (Lindsay Sloane), who dumped him. Marnie makes it abundantly clear that she is no longer interested in Kirk as she has a new, more attractive boyfriend, and loves Kirk only “like [she] loves Pizza.”
Enter Molly, the quintessential blonde bombshell, shown coming into the airport in slow motion and giving whiplash to every person who walks by, human or animal. Kirk is endearing to Molly on their first meeting because he treats her like any other customer and doesn’t stammer on his words, or insist she be “wanded” at the security desk even after she passes the metal detector.
What becomes interesting here, however, is the eventual focus on the idea of self-confidence. Molly is into Kirk from the start because she finds him funny, kind, and smart, all of which he genuinely is. Her interest comes as a total shock, not only to Kirk but to his friends, co-workers, family, even Marnie, who instantly begins having second thoughts the second Molly is in the picture.
Kirk’s insecurities about himself, reinforced by everyone around him, begin to eat away at his and Molly’s relationship. He is entertainingly mistaken for a waiter by Molly’s hunky ex-boyfriend Cam, and Kirk’s friends and family even ask Molly point blank why she is going out with him. Physically, Kirk can’t seem to feel confident with Molly because of how beautiful she is, asking her things like: “Do you even know how hot you are?” Molly shows him a webbed toe as an attempt to prove her own physical insecurities, but this comes across to Kirk like she’s mocking him. Kirk’s nerdy friends come to their own realizations about self-confidence, like his buddy Stainer (T.J Miller), so called because he wet his pants as a kid, whose ex-girlfriend states to him the theme of the film: “You were always good enough for me, you just weren’t good enough for you.”
All of this is fine and good, predictable, perhaps, even vaguely inspiring fun. However, the day we see a nerdy girl end up with a hunk without having to get a complete physical makeover first (She’s All That, Never Been Kissed, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, anyone?) is the day hockey pucks will fly in Hell.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
There’s a section called “ Devon’s Dating Show” where two of Kirk’s entourage demonstrate the “correct” way to ask out a woman, and employ a few tired man-on-man fake homosexual jokes, a mildly entertaining blooper reel, some (understandably) deleted scenes, and director’s commentary with Jim Field Smith.
"She's Out of My League" is on sale June 22, 2010 and is rated R. Comedy. Directed by Jim Field Smith . Written by Sean Anders & John Morris. Starring Alice Eve, Debra Jo Rupp , Jay Baruchel, Lindsay Sloane , T J Miller.
