The Spectacular Now
Studio: A24
Directed by James Ponsoldt
Aug 01, 2013
Web Exclusive
Why can’t more movies get teenagers right? Have filmmakers really blocked out all memories of those emotionally turbulent, deeply confusing eras of their lives? Maybe it has something to do with the way John Hughes’ concept of teenage social politics has managed to pervade they way they’re portrayed on film, or it’s just a byproduct of the majority of movies being made by filmmakers decades removed from adolescence. Most movie teenagers are either fully-formed adults squeezed into smaller packaging, or reduced to cliquish stereotypes flatter than any you’ll find in the hallways of a real-world high school. It’s rare for a film to capture those complex, conflicted feelings that so many of us have suffered through, but James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now is one of the uncommon pieces of teen cinema that rings true.
The Spectacular Now‘s 18-year-old protagonist, Sutter Keely (Miles Teller,) feels refreshingly complex; the film follows part of his senior year of high school, which shakes his worldview way harder than your typical coming-of-age feature. The film roughly begins with Sutter on an underage bender after being dumped by his girlfriend and waking up on the lawn of quiet, comely classmate Aimee Finicky (The Descendents’ Shailene Woodley.) The Spectacular Now could have easily followed a Pretty In Pink trajectory from this point-Aimee as the girl who falls in love with the popular boy who, by some silly imposed rule, should never even noticed an extremely pretty classmate outside of his social clique-but it cleverly doesn’t. This sentiment seems to be echoed in one scene, where Sutter asks Aimee what her “story” is; she tells him she feels people shouldn’t be defined by just one thing. It’s a lead more films of this type should follow.
What makes The Spectacular Now so wonderful is that its heroes are so richly layered. From his outward demeanor, you’d think Sutter is the most popular kid in school; watch closely and you’ll notice he only seems to have one friend. While Aimee displays all the signals of your stereotypical goody-two-shoes, she becomes the worst kind of enabler for all of Sutter’s destructive behavior. The film leaves off with a sense that our heroes’ problems wrap themselves up a little too easily and neatly, but that’s easy to forgive; it’s doubtful anyone in the audience will be too jaded to want anything more than to see these two incredibly likeable (if faulty) kids fall in love.
Author rating: 8/10
Average reader rating: 8/10
Most Recent
- WFR Central, Derby, UK, March 23, 2024 (Review) — Altern 8, Maria Uzor, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Cholly
- Premiere: Sofia Bolt Shares New Single “Bus Song” Featuring Stella Donnelly (News) — Sofia Bolt
- St. Vincent Shares New Song “Flea” (Feat. Dave Grohl) and Announces New Tour Dates (News) — St. Vincent, Dave Grohl
- Elbow – Guy Garvey on Their 10th Album “AUDIO VERTIGO” (Interview) — Elbow, Guy Garvey
- Vampire Weekend Share New Song “Mary Boone” (News) — Vampire Weekend
Comments
Submit your comment
There are no comments for this entry yet.