Love can take any shape and size, but finding the right person can be harder than expected. Sometimes, the right partner can appear from the get-go. Sometimes, it can take years, but nonetheless, that person will eventually come. That’s the message of Andy Delaney’s 40 Dates and 40 Nights.
The film follows Bailee Madison’s Leah, who’s burned out on dating and ready to quit. However, her grandmother proposes a challenge of her own: 40 dates in 40 nights for a full year of rent. From awkward dinners to unexpected sparks, Leah discovers the biggest obstacle to love might be herself.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with star Joel Courtney and director Andy Delaney about their newest film and much more.
Given how 40 Dates and 40 Nights explores different romantic relationships, the inclusion of romantic red flags would also be explored. During our conversation, Delaney and Courtney recalled what their biggest red flags would be.
“I’ve got one, and this has been informed by my wife,” Delaney began. “My dating process with her took several decades. Her thing is when people don’t listen. A guy just talks about himself all the time and shows no curiosity. That’s a red flag from her.”
“The scene where the guy says, ‘I don’t really like animals,'” Courtney recalled. “I just don’t like them. I’d say that’s something that I’m not on board with and that’d be a really dark red flag. But I think we love animals!”
Throughout the film, Bailee Madison’s Leah and Joel Courtney’s Mason take careful steps in developing the love they share for each other. Delaney also explained how he made sure to keep that pacing organic while also making their dynamic unique.
“I think it all comes from the writing,” Delaney said. “I’m going to give props to Sarah Howard, who wrote this and who based it on some of the experiences of her sister, so there was a biographical truth to it.”
“One of the things about the structure was [that] a lot of the guys just talked about themselves or they did things, and they didn’t ask about Bailee [Madison]’s character.”
“Ironically, when Joel [Courtney]’s character asks about her, everything goes wrong. That is very cool because although we’re following a thread about empathy and about listening, actually, people are complicated.”
Courtney’s Mason is a confident, yet lovable partner who slowly opens his arms for Madison’s Leah after the messy dates she’s been on. However, he also has his own hard spots that make him an interesting character to follow. Courtney went into detail about how he helped shape his character with Delaney’s help.
“Andy and I had a lot of conversations about Mason, how we wanted him to have that charisma, that self-confidence to be able to walk into any room and take a joke, make a joke, poke fun, as well as really sit in an empathetic moment and to really listen to someone, take them in, and support them.”
“I think that’s one of the coolest things about Mason,” Courtney added. “He’s well-rounded, but he’s empathetic, and he’s got a really good heart.”
Watch the full interview with Joel Courtney and Andy Delaney:
Viewers will likely recognize Courtney from an iconic sci-fi film that’s celebrating its 15th year anniversary: Super 8. The J. J. Abrams-directed film was produced by Steven Spielberg, who came out with a grounded sci-fi film of his own, Disclosure Day.
During our conversation, Courtney looked back on his time on Super 8 and how the ideas of empathy and understanding are a universal constant in filmmaking.
“This is the 15th year anniversary [of Super 8], which is super exciting,” Courtney began. “Empathy, I think, is a central human trait that is sought out in all sorts of relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, across the board.”
“Empathy, in my opinion, is the – someone being empathetic towards you is the feeling that you’re heard and understood, and you’re not alone. I think that’s one of the universal themes in people’s lives, that desire to be understood and known. What we do in this film really, really wonderfully is the fear of being known really deeply and overcoming of that.”
“I love Disclosure Day. It felt super nostalgic to watch for me personally, because J. J. made Super 8 in homage to a bunch of Spielberg’s films as his mentor. I just felt like a little kid in the theater being like, ‘This feels so familiar.'”
—
40 Dates and 40 Nights is currently on demand and on available streaming platforms.
Follow us on X and on Instagram!
Chris Gallardo
Christopher Gallardo is an entertainment writer, critic, and member of New York Film Critics Online. While not running his own social channels, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV for multiple outlets. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! You can find him anywhere on social media at @chrisagwrites.