Link that's and a, and stress lot.
$8,000. That's. . . That's a lot of. . .I Love You, Man · 2009 — Chapter 16 of 19 · 5'02" · B2
Peter Asks Sydney to Be Best Man, Explained: hit it off
Sydney asks Peter for eight grand, a jilted man-date named Doug publicly calls Peter out for never calling back, and through it all Peter finally admits he has almost no male friends. Then he makes it official: "I want you to stand up there with me."
What happens
Sydney asks Peter to put eight thousand dollars into a confidential investment, but Peter hesitates because he and Zooey are paying for the wedding themselves. At a restaurant, Doug — a man-date Peter never called back — confronts him, and Sydney witnesses the whole thing. Later the two talk it out, and Peter asks Sydney to be his best man.
Listen for
a lot of nervefill outhit it offbe good for it
00:00 / 05:02Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
hit it off
click right away
Peter explains that he and Sydney clicked the moment they met at the open house.
We hit it off right away at the interview.
Also in this scene
- a lot of nerve
a lot of nerve
- fill out
complete the numbers
- be good for it
able to repay
- psyched
excited, pumped
- haunt me
keep troubling someone
Everything marked in this scene
25 notes across 88 lines
no longer involved
It just. . . It might be a little tricky, just 'cause Zooey's dad is out of the picture, and, you know, we're paying for the wedding ourselves.arise, appear
An opportunity came up. I thought I would ask. No big deal.a lot of nerve
Doug corners Peter in public and accuses him of ghosting, calmly but cuttingly.
You know, it takes a lot of nerve to spend a beautiful evening with someone and then never call them again.present perfect: Haven't felt in years links past experience to the present moment.
kiss, because I felt something that I haven't felt in years, and now I know it was the taste of betrayal.a vicious slur — A vicious insult; never acceptable in polite speech.
It was the taste of betrayal, you fucking whore.be chosen
Wow. I mean, I knew when I got the nod for the engagement dinner you didn't have a ton of friends, butcomplete the numbers
Doug says Peter only invited him to make up the numbers for his wedding party.
It's like, you were basically just using me because you needed to fill out your wedding party.click right away
Peter explains that he and Sydney clicked the moment they met at the open house.
I'd actually given up on meeting someone, and then you wandered into that open house, we hit it off, and three-quarters of the Rush songbook later, here we are.stop hoping for
I'd actually given up on meeting someone, and then you wandered into that open house, we hit it off, and three-quarters of the Rush songbook later, here we are.past perfect: The past perfect marks the giving up as earlier than the meeting.
I'd actually given up on meeting someone, and then you wandered into that open house, we hit it off, and three-quarters of the Rush songbook later, here we are.Link wandered into so the d slides into in.
I'd actually given up on meeting someone, and then you wandered into that open house, we hit it off, and three-quarters of the Rush songbook later, here we are.I understand
I get it. But I just want you to know that you're my friend, and you can tell me anything.able to repay
Peter agrees to lend the money and says he trusts Sydney to pay it back.
I'd be happy to lend you the money. I know you're good for it.Blend lend and you into one smooth sound.
I'd be happy to lend you the money. I know you're good for it.infinitive object: Want someone to do something states exactly what Peter hopes for.
I want you to stand up there with me. Are you cool with that?excited about
I'm not an idiot. You're not psyched about this at all.pumped, excited — Casual for excited; use excited in formal talk.
I'm not an idiot. You're not psyched about this at all.without someone knowing
He's gonna think I'm saying stuff behind his back.keep troubling someone
Peter regrets his ruined engagement toast and fears it will follow him forever.
This dumb toast is gonna haunt me forever.a crude insult — A crude insult for someone you dislike; not for mixing company.
Dude, why is Ferrigno eating with that urinal-cake-faced fuckhead?sole right to sell
Sydney steps in and tells Ferrigno that Peter holds the exclusive listing on the property.
-Do I know you? -No, you don't know me, but I believe you know my friend Peter Klaven, who has an exclusive listing on this man's property.doing nothing at all — A vulgar way to stress doing nothing; keep it casual.
I know, but he's not doing shit with it.complete nonsense
That is total crap, Hulk, all right?nonsense — A milder word than shit for calling something false.
That is total crap, Hulk, all right?Peter Asks Sydney to Be Best Man, explained
What's really going on
The money question starts as a test of the friendship — Sydney needs a favor, Peter is stretched by the wedding, and for a moment it looks like the ask could break them. Doug's ambush makes the stakes clearer: Peter's man-dates went badly enough that someone is still furious, which is exactly the loneliness Peter confesses when he says, "I started feeling like some kind of weirdo." The scene turns when Sydney doesn't flinch: "I get it. But I just want you to know that you're my friend, and you can tell me anything." What follows is Peter making the friendship permanent — asking Sydney to stand beside him as best man — while a later conversation shows Zooey still doubts Sydney likes her at all.
Theme
FriendshipPeter and Sydney survive a money ask and turn a casual hang into a commitment, ending with Peter asking Sydney to be his best man.
TrustThe scene is about telling the truth: Doug calls Peter out, Peter admits his loneliness, and Sydney answers without judging.
What you'll learn
- Ghosting turns a warm memory into an accusation.
- Peter's loan offer is really a statement of trust.
- Asking for a best man is a test of friendship.
- Doug's calm start makes his blowup land harder.
Listen for
- That's a lot — Link that's and a, and stress lot.
- wandered into — Link wandered into so the d slides into in.
- lend you — Blend lend and you into one smooth sound.
You know, it takes a lot of nerve to spend a beautiful evening with someone and then never call them again.Doug's accusation: he takes Peter's silence as a deliberate insult, when Peter had no idea the man-date meant that much to him.
I'd actually given up on meeting someone, and then you wandered into that open house, we hit it off, and three-quarters of the Rush songbook later, here we are.Peter's explanation of why the friendship is real: it wasn't a favor for the wedding, it started at the open house and grew on its own.
It's the least I could do for the best man at my wedding.Peter's line as he asks Sydney to stand beside him, which turns the friendship into a permanent role in his life.
I get it. But I just want you to know that you're my friend, and you can tell me anything.Sydney's answer to Peter's confession of loneliness: no judgment, just an open door, which is exactly what Peter has been missing.
Questions about this scene
Why does Sydney need eight thousand dollars?
He says an investment opportunity came up, but when Peter asks about it, he says it's confidential. Peter hesitates because he and Zooey are paying for their own wedding.
Who is Doug, and why is he angry?
Doug is a man Peter met on an earlier man-date. Peter never called him again, so Doug confronts him in public about the kiss and the betrayal he felt, which embarrasses Peter in front of Sydney.
What does "takes a lot of nerve" mean?
It means someone has a lot of cheek or audacity. Doug uses it sarcastically to say Peter was brazen for having a great evening with him and then disappearing.
Does Sydney lend Peter the money?
The two untangle it: Sydney drops the investment idea, Peter decides to sell the Ferrigno house, and Sydney offers him money and says he's good for it — right before Peter asks him to be best man.
Why doesn't Zooey want Peter to talk to Sydney?
Zooey thinks Sydney doesn't like her, and she's afraid Peter telling him that will make it sound like she's talking behind Sydney's back. Peter agrees to stay quiet but ends up telling him anyway.
I Love You, Man · 19 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 17good faithZooey Leaves Peter Before the Wedding
Chapter 1put a down payment onPeter Proposes to Zooey
Chapter 2take the leapPeter Misses the Joshua Tree Trip
Chapter 3strike up a conversationPeter Tries to Make Friends
Chapter 4get the hang of itPeter's Awkward Man-Dates
Chapter 5let one ripPeter Meets Sydney at an Open House
Chapter 6in a jiffPeter Calls Sydney for a Man-Date
Chapter 7Hands downPeter and Sydney's First Man-Date
Chapter 8wet my beakTevin Tries to Wet His Beak
Chapter 9man cavePeter Tours Sydney's Man Cave
Chapter 10squeeze inPeter Bonds with Sydney Over Music
Chapter 11rock your worldPeter Introduces Zooey to Rush
Chapter 12smoking hotPeter Introduces Sydney to His Family
Chapter 13between you and mePeter and Zooey Fight About Privacy
Chapter 14bail onSydney Tempts Peter to Skip HBO
Chapter 15weirded outZooey Confronts Peter About Sydney
Watching · Chapter 16hit it offPeter Asks Sydney to Be Best Man
Chapter 17good faithZooey Leaves Peter Before the Wedding
Chapter 18sick ofPeter Confronts Sydney Over Billboards
Chapter 19broke the moldPeter and Sydney Make UpChapter 16 of 19 · about 12 min to go