Ted (2012)
Ted is a 2012 American fantasy comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane and written by MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, and Wellesley Wild. The film follows John Bennett, a Boston native who wishes for his teddy bear friend Ted to come to life as his childhood friend. In 2012, John and Ted live together in Boston with his girlfriend, Lori Collins, enjoying a hedonistic life. As John and Lori’s 4th anniversary approaches, Lori hopes to marry John but feels he cannot move forward with Ted around. John is hesitant to make Ted leave, but is persuaded to do so when they find Ted at home with a group of prostitutes.
John finds Ted his own apartment and a job at a grocery store, where Ted starts dating his co-worker, Tami-Lynn. Lori learns that John has been skipping work and using her as an excuse to continue spending most of his time with Ted. At a party put on by Lori’s womanizing manager Rex, Ted lures John away to meet Sam J. Jones, the star of their favorite film, Flash Gordon. John intends to stay only for a few minutes, but gets caught up in the occasion, leading Lori to kick him out of the apartment and break up with him. Devastated and enraged, John blames Ted for ruining his life and ends their friendship.
Ted visits John’s hotel room to inform him about Lori and Rex attending a Norah Jones concert, leading to an argument. Ted arranges for Norah Jones to help John express his love for Lori with a song during the concert. John performs an off-key rendition of “All Time High,” which touches Lori and she agrees to talk to him.
After Lori leaves, Ted is kidnapped by Donny, an obsessive stalker who plans to make Ted into his son Robert’s toy. John and Lori rescue Ted from Donny’s residence and chase him to Fenway Park, where he punches Robert and rips him in half. Two police cars arrive, forcing Donny to flee the scene.
John and Lori gather Ted’s stuffing and Ted relays his wish for John to be happy with Lori before the magic in Ted fades away, making him a normal teddy bear again. Unable to accept Ted’s death, they unsuccessfully attempt to repair him. Lori makes a wish upon a shooting star, and the following day, Ted is magically restored and reunites with John and Lori. John finally proposes to Lori, and they get married with Sam Jones as the presiding minister.
In the film’s epilogue, Ted accepts having a life of his own, while Sam Jones restarts his film career and moves into a studio apartment with Brandon Routh. Rex gives up his pursuit of Lori, goes into depression, and dies of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Donny gets arrested for kidnapping Ted but the charges are dropped. Robert hires a personal trainer and loses weight, becoming Taylor Lautner.