And here I was thinking that Paul Rudd might not live to see another leading romantic comedy role after “Over Her Dead Body.”

After predominantly getting shuttled into best friend roles for the better part of his career, our favorite Ben Affleck look-alike finally gets a starring role worthy of his acting chops – a man too in touch with women.

This time, it is he who needs the best friend.

“I Love You, Man” opens with Rudd’s character Peter Klaven, a real estate agent, lovingly proposing to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones). Everything about their future nuptials seems picture-perfect until he realizes that he has no male friends to fill out his wedding party, not even a best man.

You see, Klaven is guilty of what most girls dream about. He is too devoted to his woman, too sensitive and nice to mesh with the likes of his brutish peers. Now, he must go searching for his male counterpart.

After a series of failed man-dates set up by his mother (Jane Curtin, “3rd Rock from the Sun”) and gay brother (played laughingly straight by Andy Samberg), Klaven finally meets the B.F.F. of his dreams, a schlubby slacker but acute investor named Sydney Fife (Jason Segel, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”).

The man love flourishes. But as the meek Klaven gets in touch with his testosterone, relations strain between him and Zooey.

Screenwriting duo John Hamburg (“Along Came Polly”) and Larry Levin (“Dr. Dolittle”) rip the traditional rom-com trope of soulmate searching out of its heterosexual context and place it squarely in bromance territory.

The recipe is nothing short of genius, resulting in a film capable of appealing to basically anyone who ever tried to make a friend.

The dialogue is socially conscious, frank and cleverly executed.

Rudd and Segel drive this movie like no other pairing would. The Apatow-approved actors develop a kinship instantly identifiable, highlighted by a laugh-out-loud montage to Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.”

“I Love You, Man” captures every bumbling phone call and awkward conversation that comes with trying to impress someone. Though the tongue-tied joke is milked for all its worth, you keep laughing because it is oh-so-true.