‘Wet Hot American Summer’ is a very funny and good movie

When Paul Rudd became Paul Rudd.

So. Yesterday was Paul Rudd’s birthday and someone asked Twitter to post their favorite Paul Rudd gifs and man has he been around forever and he’s been pretty good the entire time which is impressive and I have a hard time believing he’s 51 but then again no I don’t and good for him. 

Anyway, here’s my favorite Paul Rudd gif. 

It’s from 2001 and Wet Hot American Summer, which is a very funny and good movie on its own but it's also the first time in his career where he got to take a break from being a rom-com pretty boy and be an absurd weirdo who was also pretty and a boy. Here’s the full scene. 

Nothing makes sense in Wet Hot American Summer. It’s just a bunch of funny people being funny to the flimsiest of plots, which is what allowed Paul Rudd to let loose like he’s driving a sports car down an empty stretch of freeway just to see how fast it can go. This is before Anchorman and The Forty-Year Old Virgin and Parks and Recreation. Man, look at Rudd go! With Elizabeth Banks! 

And Rudd isn’t the only person who is great in Wet Hot American Summer, there are nearly a dozen other nonsensical, over-the-top performances like this. Including one from this can.