''They Came Together'' is a 2014 American

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film directed by

David Wain David Benjamin Wain (born August 1, 1969) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and director. He has co-written and directed six feature films, including '' Wet Hot American Summer'' (2001), '' Role Models'' (2008), '' Wanderlust'' (2012), and ...

and written by Wain and

Michael Showalter Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American director, writer, and producer. He first achieved recognition as a cast member on MTV's ''The State'', which aired from 1993 to 1995. He and David Wain created the ''Wet Hot American Summer ...

. The film stars

Paul Rudd Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. Rudd studied theatre at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before making his acting debut in 1991. He was included on the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 li ...

and

Amy Poehler Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...

, with supporting roles from

Cobie Smulders Jacoba Francisca Maria "Cobie" Smulders (born April 3, 1982) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her starring role as Robin Scherbatsky in the CBS series ''How I Met Your Mother'' (2005–2014) and as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill in th ...

Christopher Meloni Christopher Peter Meloni (; born April 2, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for portraying NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC legal drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–2011, 2021–present) and its spin-off '' ...

Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...

Ellie Kemper Elizabeth Claire Kemper (born May 2, 1980) is an American actress, best known for her roles of Erin Hannon in the sitcom ''The Office'' (2009–2013) and Kimmy Schmidt in the sitcom '' Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' (2015–2019). She has also app ...

Melanie Lynskey Melanie Jayne Lynskey ( ; born 16 May 1977) is a New Zealand actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women and her command of American accents, she works predominantly in independent films and television. She is the recipient of numerous ...

, and

Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor, musician and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sit ...

. Joel and Molly, over dinner with couple Kyle and Karen, recount their entire relationship. It is a

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

of romantic comedies infused with Showalter and Wain's absurd approach. The film had its world premiere at the

2014 Sundance Film Festival The 2014 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16, 2014 until January 26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Utah, Ogden, and Sundance Resort in Utah. The festival opene ...

, and was released theatrically (with a simultaneous release on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

) on June 27, 2014.

Plot

As Joel and Molly have dinner with unhappy couple Kyle and Karen, they recount how they first began dating in NYC. At the time, Molly owned a small independent candy store, Upper Sweet Side, that was being pushed out-of-business by Joel's company, a larger candy corporation called CSR. Joel lived with his girlfriend, Tiffany, until he caught her cheating on him with his coworker Trevor. Ironically, he found them when he had gone home to propose, with roses and an engagement ring in hand. Trevor is also a rival at work, stealing an account from him and vying for the same promotion. On their way to the same Halloween party, Joel and Molly bump into each other. They were both invited by their respective best friends to set them up and ironically come dressed in identical costumes. Although they initially fight, they come across each other in a second-hand book store and end up going on a date. Joel and Molly bond after hours in a coffee shop, bonding over many things they have in common. She invites him home for dinner, where Joel meets Molly's son Tucker from a previous relationship. Later, on the front steps, he admits that he is not over Tiffany, and Molly goes in angrily. Joel goes to the sweet shop to apologize, but both take so long getting ready, him rehearsing out front and Molly going through a montage of trying on outfits, that they miss each other. He eventually says sorry over the phone, and they begin dating. Following a video montage of the couple laughing and enjoying themselves in piles of leaves, the greengrocer's etc, they do a road trip so Joel can meet her parents. Driving to the countryside to meet Molly's parents, Joel discovers they are white supremacists. He and Molly argue and break up. Joel begins seeing Tiffany again, as Trevor dumped her and goes back to his life before Molly. She begins dating her banker, Eggbert, although they clearly have little in common. As Molly and Joel share friends, they coincide at the usual autumn festivities. Molly and Eggbert become engaged at New Year's. Joel realizes that he is still in love with her, so breaks up with Tiffany, who reveals she is actually

Judge Judy ''Judge Judy'' is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin. The show featured Sheindlin as she adjudicated real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated court ...

. Months later, just after he prevents CSR from destroying Upper Sweet Side, he races to the wedding. Joel arrives to find that she has already left Eggbert at the altar, so he goes to the Brooklyn Promenade to find her. All of the wedding guests follow Joel there. After Joel makes a speech declaring his love, after several interruptions, they agree to get back together. Molly's ex-husband Spike, who was just released from jail, confronts Joel. They have a fight, which Joel wins, and Spike is again apprehended by the police (only to suddenly be executed on site). Joel and Molly get married one year later, and Joel unveils a folding coffee table now placed outside Upper Sweet Side, which he calls Cup of Joel. In the present, Joel and Molly reveal that they are getting divorced, as their marriage has since fallen apart due to their failed business venture and increasing debts. Because of it Molly got addicted to pills and started sleeping with an old boyfriend (Frank) again. So, Molly and Joel mutually decided they should be friends. After they finish telling their story to Kyle and Karen, both couples wonder and then agree to give their marriages another shot.

Cast

as Joel,male lead who gets cheated by girlfriend and then by wife. *

as Molly, female lead who had dislike towards Joel at first and becomes his wife later *

as Tiffany Amber Thigpen, Joel's girlfriend *

as Roland, Joel's boss *

Max Greenfield Max Greenfield (born September 4, 1979) is an American actor and author. He appeared in recurring roles in ''Veronica Mars'' and ''Ugly Betty''. He co-starred as Schmidt in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', for which he received nominations at the Pri ...

as Jake *

as Kyle *

as Karen *

Jason Mantzoukas Jason Mantzoukas (; born December 18, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and podcaster. He is known for his roles as Rafi in the FX comedy series ''The League'' and as Nadal in '' The Dictator,'' and he is one of the three co-ho ...

as Bob, Joel's best friend *

as Brenda *

as Eggbert Flaps *

Noureen DeWulf Noureen DeWulf (née Ahmed) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles in '' West Bank Story'' (2005), ''Ghosts of Girlfriends Past'' (2009), and ''The Back-up Plan'' (2010). She also starred as Lacey on the sitcom ...

as Melanie *

Michael Ian Black Michael Ian Black ( né Schwartz; August 12, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including ''The State'', '' Viva Variety'', '' Stella'', '' Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp'', ...

as Trevor *

Michaela Watkins Michaela Watkins (born December 14, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. After several years performing with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Watkins achieved widespread attention for her brief stint as a featured player on th ...

as Habermeyer *

Randall Park Randall Park (born March 23, 1974) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his roles as Agent Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, FBI Special Agent Edwin Park in the Netflix series '' The Residence'' (2025), Louis Hu ...

as Martinson *

Teyonah Parris Teyonah Parris ( ; born September 22, 1987) is an American actress. A graduate of Juilliard School, she began acting in 2010. Her first prominent roles were in the drama series ''Mad Men'' (2012–2015) and in the independent film ''Dear White Pe ...

as Wanda *

as Keith Flaps *

Jack McBrayer Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in ''30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'', McBraye ...

as Oliver *

Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since Saturday Night Live season 29, 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the ...

as Teddy *

Ken Marino Kenneth Joseph Marino (born December 19, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He was a cast member on MTV's ''The State'' and has starred in shows such as '' Party Down'', '' Marry Me'', '' Burning Love'', and ''Child ...

as Tommy *

Erinn Hayes Erinn Hayes (née Carter; born May 25, 1976) is an American actress and comedian. She is known for her role as Dr. Lola Spratt on the sitcom ''Childrens Hospital'' (2008–2016), which she later reprised in its spin-off series ''Medical Police' ...

as Valerie *

Zak Orth Adam Zachary Orth (born October 15, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in ''Wet Hot American Summer'', ''The Baxter'', '' Melinda and Melinda'', '' In and Out'', ''Music and Lyrics'', and ''NYC 22''. He also starred in the NBC t ...

as Waiter With Pole *

Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...

as herself * Adam Scott as Sound Engineer *

John Stamos John Phillip Stamos ( ; born August 19, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for his contract role as Blackie Parrish on the ABC television soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he was nominated for the ...

as Assistant Engineer * Michael Murphy as Roger *

Lynn Cohen Lynn Harriette Cohen (née Kay; August 10, 1933 – February 14, 2020) was an American actress known for her roles in film, television and theater. She was particularly known for her role as Magda in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'', which sh ...

as Bubby *

Michael Shannon Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor. Shannon received two Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations, for '' Revolutionary Road'' (2008), and '' Nocturnal Animals'' (2016). He received Screen Actors Guil ...

as Spike *

Jeffrey Dean Morgan Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the character Negan in the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2016–2022) and its spin-off '' The Walking Dead: Dead City'' (2023–present ...

as Frank *

Judge Judy Sheindlin Judith Susan Sheindlin ( Blum; born October 21, 1942), also known as Judge Judy, is an American attorney, jurist, court-show arbitrator, media personality, television producer, and former prosecutor and Manhattan family court judge. For 25 seas ...

as herself

Production

The film was written by David Wain and

. Rudd and Poehler participated in a table read of the script at the

SF Sketchfest SF Sketchfest, or The San Francisco Comedy Festival, is an American comedy festival founded in 2002 by Bay Area actor-comedians David Owen, Janet Varney and Cole Stratton. It takes place every January and February in a variety of Bay Area venues ...

in January 2012.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

on January 24, 2014., the film went on to screen at the Sundance London Film Festival on April 26, 2014., and went on to screen at the Chicago Critics Film Festival,

Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is a film festival held annually in Seattle, Washington, United States, since 1976. It usually takes place in late May and/or early June. It is one of the largest festivals in the world, and feature ...

, BAMcinema Fest. The film was released in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

on June 27, 2014 in a

limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

and through

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

Reception

On review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

the film holds an approval rating of 70% based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics consensus states: "''They Came Together'' is surprisingly messy and perhaps too smart for its own good, but Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd's chemistry is enough to overcome many of the movie's flaws." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, it was assigned a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

References

External links

* * {{David Wain 2014 films 2014 romantic comedy films American parody films American romantic comedy films Films directed by David Wain Films set in New York City Lionsgate films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films English-language romantic comedy films