I Love You, Man! Five of the most endearing bromances that film and television have to offer

With it being Valentine’s Day and all, much of the focus is going to be on the sort of love that exists within a romantic relationship. However, love takes on many different forms (like a boggart). For this particular post I will examine five standout bromances in movies and TV in order to see what each one has to say about the real life love shared between two heterosexual male bros.

5. House and Wilson (House M.D.)

Sure, House is an ass. And sure, Wilson is a pushover, but this chemistry is part of the reason the two go together so perfectly. Throughout its eight seasons, House encountered its fair share of deaths, quits, “you’re fired’s”- even the main love interest, Cuddy, quit after season seven- but the one thing viewers could count on was this odd couple’s relentless bickering and pranking, thus proving that romantic love is not the only kind of love that can last through the years.

But these two also make my list for another reason: they’re actually committed to their bromance. When his therapist inquires that House is “settling” on Wilson’s friendship, House quickly snaps “Wilson is not a consolation prize!” and goes on to explain that he can say anything to Wilson without him ever leaving, an important strength to have in a bromance to be sure. Wilson is almost constantly returning the favor by being their for House whenever he needs to talk, even if that means limping his way into Wilson’s office during a consult with a dying patient. But in the end, it is House who sacrifices the most. After Wilson is diagnosed with cancer in season eight, House fakes his death in order to spend Wilson’s last few months by his side (and also to avoid jail time, but that’s a story for a different day). Now that’s love.

The relationship, as summed up by Dr. Wilson…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcUO_QItwjI

4. Seth and Evan (Superbad)

High school can be such a homophobic time in a young man’s life. So to witness a bromance so strong between two high schoolers at such an early point in their lives is kind of refreshing. Seth and Evan struggle against the everyday high school drama that is trying to fit in, look cool, and get laid. Unfortunately, the universe seems against them in their epic grade school search for acceptance: Seth is overweight and Evan is a skinny nerd, two traits laughed upon by the average senior high jock or cool kid. Fortunately, Seth and Evan have each other to fight through it all with and that is way more valuable than looking cool or fitting in.

3. Sam and Frodo (The Lord of the Rings trilogy)

They say that there is no love like a hobbit’s love (or maybe I just made that up…). If that’s true, then just imagine how much love exists within this hobbit-based bromance! Throughout the trilogy, it is Frodo who is burdened with the responsibility of returning the ring to Mordor. However, he never would have made it without his best friend Samwise Gamgee at his side.

Sam served as the moral compass to Frodo whenever he was poisoned by the ring or the crazed Golem, even if Frodo didn’t always have the right state of mind to agree with him. Nevertheless, Sam stood by his side through all three movies (that’s a really long time!) and that’s what makes this bromance one of the most enduring in fiction.

2. Peter and Sydney (I Love You, Man)

Peter and Sydney stand out in a world of fictional bromances because they both stepped out of their comfort zone in order to see if they could make something happen and make something happen they did. Peter and Sydney became such good bros that they have earned a spot on my list. These two represent the similarities that many of us share with each other: music, seafood, the need for sexual satisfaction, even though we are not aware of it. Sure many of us may have taken a risk on somebody we did not fully understand quite yet and ended up with broken hearts, but Peter and Sydney stand as a testament to the good consequences of keeping good faith in the face of uncertainty.

1. Ted and Marshall (How I Met Your Mother)

What makes Ted and Marshal two of the best bros in all of fiction (that’s right, I said it) is how genuine their bromance is. They’re willing to say whatever they feel needs to be said in order to help the other out, rather than what will make the other “feel better.” The two of them are more focused on being their for each other and earnestly making sure that the other gets whatever is best for him, even if they don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on that sometimes. Their openness and love for one another is something our world needs more of and sets itself as a prime example of how being a bro is more than being a friend, even if that means sitting out in the rain with them after their fiance leaves them.

What do you think? Leave a comment.