Middle-aged Dan (Jack Black) rules his high school’s reunion committee with the diplomatic grace of Pol Pot. Defined by a bottomless pit of self-loathing that his constant lying covers up like a booby trap, he’s got a lot in common with hunky actor Oliver Lawless (James Marsden), once the most popular boy in his class. Convinced that securing Oliver’s attendance would make the reunion a success, Dan heads to LA where his man-crush is consummated with more than a fist bump. For casually bisexual Oliver, it’s a courtesy bone; for Dan, it’s a game-changer.
Foregrounding the homoeroticism of Judd Apatow’s bromantic comedies, ‘The D Train’ attempts to get to the bottom of what so many men are so afraid of. It’s a welcome attempt, but Black’s character is insufferable when not trying to reconcile his unwavering heterosexuality with the residual fulfilment he feels from that intimate encounter with his idol. It doesn’t help that the film torpedoes its comic momentum by getting too caught up in Dan’s biggest fib (a painful scheme that involves him lying to his boss in order to spend more time with Oliver). And, ultimately, ‘The D Train’ generates so few laughs from its thin ‘be yourself’ message that a commendable refusal to gawk at the gay stuff is all that keeps it on track.