Many fans consider 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' one of the more relatable romance movies, even though it's largely a comedy. But it's also one of Ryan Gosling's most memorable achievements, especially because it paired him with Emma Stone for what would become an iconic on-screen coupling.
But the movie was also unique because of the angle that the creators took on its execution. As EW recapped, the film's directors (and the writer) really wanted to create a rom-com from the guy's point of view. Which meant not only a dynamic cast (including Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, and the aforementioned Ryan and Emma), but also a unique title.
As the story goes, though, the title didn't even come from the directors, producers, or the original writer. In fact, when they began filming, the movie was just called "Untitled Dan Fogelman Project" or "UDF" after the writer of the project.
But the directors really wanted a finalized name for the film, so they worked hard at soliciting ideas from the cast and crew. EW says that the co-directors, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, even held a competition to get name ideas for the movie.
They promised the winner an iPad, but it's unclear whether anyone ever got their prize. For one thing, some titles were picked but then nixed later on. One such title? 'Romantical,' a misspoken line from the show's youngest cast member, Jonah Bobo.
Interestingly, the ultimate title also came from the mouth of a veritable babe. Jonah, who was about 14 at the time and had had few acting jobs to date, also had some dialogue that included the words 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.'
The studio at one point wanted 'Wingman,' though, noted EW. And in another explanation of the film's origins, Emma Stone stated in an interview that the movie was previously called 'Untitled Marital Crisis Comedy.'
In an interview, documented via YouTube, with Emma back in 2010 for her film 'Paper Man,' which came out in 2009. She discussed her upcoming project and elaborated that she hoped the producers would keep the title 'Untitled Marital Crisis Comedy' because she loved it.
Of course, she also loved that the role had her playing Ryan's love interest which, she noted, was "not a bad day at the office." So really, regardless of the title the movie wound up with, it was an all-around hit, both to audiences and to Emma, who got to pretend to fall in love with Ryan Gosling.
'Crazy, Stupid, Love' was definitely one of her best roles, but not the only time she got to pair up with Gosling. If only every fan could be as lucky!