Bromancing the stoned

It may have registered on the mainstream radar long ago with George Costanza’s barely concealed non-sexual crush on Tony the Mimbo.

But 14 years since "Seinfeld" introduced the notion of the man-crush for maximum yuks, platonic love between two dudes has blossomed from ambiguous hero worship to an out-and-out celebration of the kind of deep-rooted connection women have long enjoyed.

This bourgeoning phenomenon even goes by a handy, appropriately silly tag—“bromance”—and you’d better get used to it.

Granted, Hollywood’s current fixation on heterosexual man-love isn’t entirely new. As far back as 1986, Rob Reiner’s benchmark coming-of-age drama Stand By Me depicted a motley crew of young boys whose wild adventures resulted in some serious male bonding. Swingers found Jon Favreau and a scenery-chewing newbie named Vince Vaughn on the prowl for “beautiful babies” and a cure for heartache that signalled a new focus on male relationships.

But while these films were happy to hint at deeper bonds below the surface, recent trends have introduced the previously unthinkable— emotionally open exchanges between (fairly) grown men.

Judd Apatow (possessor of the Midas touch, he) has served as producer, writer and/or director on a new wave of male-centric hit comedies like Superbad, and most recently, Pineapple Express. These films have, to varying degrees, focused on sincere, emotionally resonant relationships between guys on the cusp of their 20s, discarding the notion of stoic bonding over fishing trips and the big game in favour of lavish displays of affection. The message is clear: yes, straight men can love each other and shouldn’t be afraid to say so.

Case in point: when Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) return home, crawl into their respective sleeping bags, exhausted, tipsy and still reeling from an adventure-filled graduation party in Superbad, Seth doesn’t mince words: "I just want to go to the rooftop and scream 'I love my best friend, Evan!'” You just know Tango and Cash never had those heart-to-hearts.

Pineapple Express—wherein the unlikely duo of drug dealer Saul (James Franco) and regular client Dale (Seth Rogen) find themselves evading drug lords, tearing up sidewalks in high-speed car chases and wielding guns like action stars— takes the bromance phenomenon a step further. Amid scenes of sometimes cartoonish violence, including the most graphic ear mutilation scene this side of Tarantino, Rogen, Apatow and co-screenwriter Evan Goldberg have allowed their sloppy but loveable stoners-come-fugitives to explore their budding friendship and become vulnerable in the process.

In fact, when a particularly nasty spat ends with Saul storming off, the fall-out shows both men ambling in a tear-soaked stupor that’s both humourous and somehow touching—no small feat. While Dale does place a sobbing phone call to his erstwhile girlfriend, the catalyst that drives the film is the intense—and surprising— attachment the two guys feel for one another and it goes far beyond the ‘bros before hos’ ethos. Scene-stealer Danny McBride, who plays nearly indestructible drug linchpin Red, effectively expands the duo into a bromance trifecta and his addition proves to be a welcome one.

Yes, the male leads are afflicted with a case of arrested development and yes, homoerotic undertones are momentarily fleshed out for easy LOLs but Pineapple Express chooses to keep its focus on a group of guys who talk about being each other’s BFFFs without a hint of self-consciousness, laying the groundwork for the audience’s emotional investment in the process.

The tokers riding high on Pineapple Express may be bonding amidst the spray of gun-fire and billowing clouds of pot smoke but thanks to an out-and-out funny script and earnest performances by Rogen and Franco, their unabashed "bromantic" connection is what audiences will remember.