What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedCrazy, Stupid, Love.
Glenn Ficarra · Film · 2011
If you loved Crazy, Stupid, Love., start with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Rachel Bloom, 2015) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Crazy, Stupid, Love. across media.
You loved Crazy, Stupid, Love. because you enjoy watching characters navigate the messy, often humorous intersection of midlife reinvention and relationships.
Books on the same thread
The Love Dare
Stephen Kendrick · Book · 2009
Explores: Marriage Enrichment, Communication in Marriage, Commitment.
If the marital unraveling in Crazy, Stupid, Love. resonated with you, this book offers a practical, reflective path toward the commitment and reconciliation that Cal desperately sought.
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald · Book · 2004
Explores: American Dream, Social Class, Love and Loss.
While Crazy, Stupid, Love. finds humor in midlife transitions, this classic mirrors its preoccupation with the American dream and the painful, transformative process of chasing lost love.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald · Book · 1991
Explores: The American Dream, Social Class, Wealth and Status.
Like the dramatic shifts in Crazy, Stupid, Love., this work examines the volatility of the human heart and the complexities of status, wealth, and love in modern society.
A Man Called Ove: A Novel
Fredrik Backman · Book · 2016
Explores: Grumbling protagonist, Unexpected friendship, Redemption.
If you enjoyed the way Crazy, Stupid, Love. forced its protagonist to break out of his shell, you will appreciate this story of a grumpy man finding unexpected redemption.
Series on the same thread
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Rachel Bloom · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with Crazy, Stupid, Love.: Self-Discovery, Romantic Comedy.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. explores the chaotic journey of dating after a major life change, a theme this series pushes to the extreme with its focus on identity and obsession.
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Taffy Brodesser-Akner · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with Crazy, Stupid, Love.: Midlife Crisis.
This series captures the exact same midlife crisis and post-divorce dating anxiety that defines Cal’s arc in Crazy, Stupid, Love., but adds a sharper, more modern, and cynical edge.
Cold Feet
Mike Bullen · Series · 1998
Shares a thread with Crazy, Stupid, Love.: Infidelity.
Much like the ensemble dynamics in Crazy, Stupid, Love., this show mines the humor and heart from the trials of long-term relationships, infidelity, and the pursuit of love.
Happy Endings
David Caspe · Series · 2011
Explores: Friendship, Post-Breakup, Urban Life.
If you loved the way Crazy, Stupid, Love. navigates the fallout of a sudden breakup, this show perfectly captures the messy, funny reality of maintaining friendships after a split.
Podcasts on the same thread
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf · Podcast · 2026
Explores: parasocial relationships, professional intimacy, self-deprecating humor.
The male bonding that anchors Crazy, Stupid, Love. is mirrored here, as a famous host explores the professional and personal intimacy required to form genuine, lasting adult friendships.
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
Just as Crazy, Stupid, Love. uses humor to explore the human condition, these narrative stories capture the big feelings and surprising twists inherent in our complex, everyday relationships.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Crazy, Stupid, Love. a story about a man getting divorced?
Yes, Crazy, Stupid, Love. centers on Cal Weaver, whose life unravels when his wife, Emily, asks for a divorce after she has been unfaithful. The film follows Cal as he navigates the challenges of being suddenly single and over forty.
Does Crazy, Stupid, Love. feature a character who teaches Cal how to date?
In Crazy, Stupid, Love., Cal Weaver is mentored by Jacob Palmer. Jacob is a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing to teach him how to navigate the fickle world of dating after Cal finds himself single again.
What is the main conflict in Crazy, Stupid, Love.?
The primary conflict in Crazy, Stupid, Love. begins when Cal Weaver learns that his wife, Emily, has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. This event disrupts his life, forcing him to leave his comfortable existence and enter the dating world as a middle-aged man.
Who directed the 2011 film Crazy, Stupid, Love.?
The 2011 film Crazy, Stupid, Love. was directed by Glenn Ficarra. The story focuses on the life of Cal Weaver, a man whose seemingly perfect marriage falls apart, leading him to seek guidance from a younger, more experienced man named Jacob Palmer.