In Theaters 19 Years Ago, a Based-on-True Events Comedy Written by Two Teenagers Became a Millennial Movie Classic

It has been 19 years since one of the best coming-of-age comedy movies of the 21st century was released, and it still holds up today as a Millennial movie classic. In 2007, director Greg Mottola made the movie Superbad, a raunchy teen comedy movie about two friends who realize their lives are headed in different directions as their senior year comes to a close. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera star as Seth and Evan, two teenagers who have been friends for years, but when Seth learns Evan is moving away for college, he feels betrayed, and this affects their friendship as the final senior year parties close in.

What is most impressive about this movie is that it was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg when they were still teenagers, and they based it on their own experience as high school seniors in the 1990s.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Wrote Superbad When They Were Teens

While released in 2007, Superbad is very much a product of the 1990s. The film went into development in 2000 and finally entered production in 2006. Rogen and Goldberg wrote the movie as teenagers growing up in Canada, and most of the film has callbacks to things that really happened to them and the people they grew up around. Rogen, on whom Hill’s character of Seth was based, appeared in the movie as a police officer, and even side characters, like Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s Fogell, were based on friends of Rogen and Goldberg from school.

The coming-of-age story was sweet and honest, with the two young men realizing they were at a crossroads. Seth knew he was going to be alone when Evan left for college, and he had no options for his future. Evan knew he had to get out of the town to find his way in the world, even if it meant leaving his best friend behind. There was nothing that felt false in this story. However, what made it such a great success was that the movie added in absurdity and teenage sex comedy moments that helped balance out the meatier themes to keep the audience laughing while also delivering the tender story of friendship.

There were the love interests, with Emma Stone playing the object of Seth’s desire, and Martha MacIsaac as Evan’s love interest. There was Fogell, who stole every scene he was in alongside the police officers played by Rogen and Bill Hader. In the end, everyone played their role perfectly, and Superbad ended up as not only a successful teenage comedy movie, but one of the best comedies of the entire 21st century.

Critics praised the comedy and heart of the film, with an 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating and an 87% from the audience. It was a massive box office success, making $170.8 million. It was even added to the New York Times Top 100 movies of the 21st century list, which was voted on by industry professionals. It had a perfect cast, hit theaters at a perfect time, and ended up as a movie that defined the entire Millennial generation.

Superbad Remains a Millennial Comedy Classic

Every generation has its comedy touchstone movie. Movies like American Graffiti (1970s), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1980s), and Dazed and Confused (1990s) are all films that people from those decades still look back on and consider favorites, stories that influenced them at that time. What is even more important about some of these films is that they didn’t even take place in the decade they were released. American Graffiti was set in the 1960s, Dazed and Confused took place in the 1970s, and Superbad was based on stories from the 1990s. That helps because the adults watching the movies typically went to school in the era the movie focuses on.

The movie was a huge success, with audiences seeing themselves in these roles, and it helped turn everyone involved into bigger stars in the end. This was Mintz-Plasse’s debut movie role, and he went on to star in films like Kick-Ass and the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Mottola went on to direct the critically acclaimed coming-of-age movie Adventureland two years later.

As for Rogen and Goldberg, this opened the doors to Hollywood for them. Rogen began writing more after this movie, with credits in Pineapple Express, This Is the End, and TV shows like Preacher. Goldberg worked on all three of those movies as well as more with his childhood friend. However, it all started with Superbad.