“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is not your father’s break-up comedy. Or my father’s break-up comedy. But it’s an excellent one.

“Marshall” features Jason Segal as main character Peter Bretter, a semi-successful loser who is dating Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), the star of the show he writes music for. At least, until the opening of the film, when she dumps him. After a few unsuccessful attempts to rebound her out of his system, he decides to take a trip to Hawaii to clear his head – and, of course, runs into his ex and her new squeeze, the super-sexually charged rock star Aldous Snow, played brilliantly by Russell Brand. While Peter tries to stave off a total breakdown, he ends up meeting Rachel (Mila Kunis), a resort employee who is basically the first to get Peter to smile since the breakup.

The script was written by Segal, and a number of the incidents are based on actual experiences he’s had. For example, in the opening of the film, Peter is naked when he is dumped, something that Segal says he’s actually experienced. And yes, in that scene, you see everything a couple of times. Which may be unnecessary, but it certainly makes us as awkward as he is in that scene.

The fact that certain plot points are based on actual events keeps the film from going too far into the absurd, like most comedies do. Similarly, although i doubt all the characters are based on actual people, they all seem very real. Even Aldous Snow, the oversexed “other man” is redeemably cool when the character gets to know him. The script is full of details that keep it grounded, without loosing its initial edge.

However, this is not a perfect date movie. This is a romantic comedy that guys will probably enjoy more than girls, so fellas, use discression before you take your lady. She might love it, but she also might hate it. You, on the other hand, will probably just love it.

Have fun.