“”This Is 40” is an oddly self-indulgent movie about people who’s problems have nothing to do with their age.”

There are mild spoilers, so if you have not seen the film, please consider seeing it before reading.

Growing up, my family used to watch shows like “Dynasty,” Falcon’s Crest” and “Flamingo Road;”  stories about very rich people and their foibles.  What I came to understand about such shows was that they taught us that the upper classes–despite their wealth, or perhaps because of it–were oftentimes pretty poor when it came to understanding who they were as human beings.

Oddly enough, I felt the same vibe from Judd Apatow’s “This is 40.”

It’s a strangely self-indulgent film filled with people that face problems that are almost entirely of their own making.  Then, because of the aforementioned problems, they being to whine.

A lot.

And there’s nothing quite so irritating as someone who creates their own problems, then has the audacity to complain; like a child, as opposed to a healthy, functional adult.

For instance, Pete (Paul Rudd) owns a small record label, which seems to have as a business plan to invest in artists–or should I say an artist–that is in the twilight of his career.  Now, if you have the resources to have your own record label, and money enough that none of the artists that you manage has to be successful, then more power to you.

If you don’t then you have to find an artist(s) that is going to contribute to the bottom line.

It’s really that simple, though Pete doesn’t seem to understand that, perhaps because it would be somehow a sign that he would have to do something that he might not want to, which most adults do quite regularly.

He drives what looks like an new, expensive BMW; his wife drives a Lexus SUV, if money were an issue perhaps it’s time to trade in their expensive cars for something cheaper.

But in the world occupied by these characters, that’s not an option.  Instead they take out their frustrations on each other, as opposed to dealing with the realities of their situations.

His wife, Debbie (Leslie Mann) is the same.  She sees that her daughter is having difficulty with a boy in school.  As opposed to letting her daughter work it out herself, she and Pete spy on her electronic devices, and threaten first this boy, then his mother in a fashion that could potentially get anyone else in trouble with the law.

Because it’s easier to intervene somewhere where you’re not wanted, than to honestly look at your own problems, and take steps to do something about them.

Another curious thing about this film is that there are virtually no people of color in it.  I mean, literally. There’s an Indian doctor, who’s mocked by Pete for his accent, and a woman who works at Debbie’s clothing store (who happens to be a pill-popping thief) and some African Americans who pop up at the end, during a club scene.

Though the oddest thing about Judd Apatow’s film is that it advertises itself as a story about what happens when some people hit 40, though it’s more a story about two people to immature–no matter what age they happen to be–to face the most important issues in their lives.