The Spectacular Now

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/7/13 at 10:48pm

Ugh. I did not like this movie. I went into high the hype of love of Shailene, but I was glad when it finally ended. Not that it was the worst movie ever or anything, because it certainly wasn't, but the main character was so impenetrable and awful that I just couldn't care what happened to him.

Miles Teller plays the above a$$hole, who despite being the class clown is constantly drunk and bullSH*Tting his way through life. He meets Shailene Woodley's character, who is good and sweet and possibly the person who will turn his life around.

In order for a movie like this to work the audience has to actually want to see the fallen character redeem himself.

The film creeps along at a snail's pace and never builds momentum. The one time I thought the movie was going to shake things up it totally wimped out on. The ending made me unhappy.

Yet the critics seemed to like it and the opening week grosses were amazing. Am I missing something here? Did anyone like it or were you disappointed like I was?

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 9:53am

I was just reading about this movie, Whizzer!

Despite your pretty harsh review – and perhaps even a little encouraged by it – I’m very, very interested in seeing this and hope it opens near me soon.

So, obviously, I can’t yet speak to your questions, but I will say I disagree with this part of your post – “In order for a movie like this to work the audience has to actually want to see the fallen character redeem himself.”

For myself, that’s categorically untrue. Chalk it up to personal preference!

Thanks, as always, for the review

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 11:08am

Hi Growl!

I guess the key to that statement is "a movie like this." It's an indie/rom-com/coming of age type thing, I guess most comparable to "Perks of Being a Wallflower" which I enjoyed much more than this.

I was definitely rooting for those misfits to succeed in "Perks." Teller's character is also a misfit, but he wasn't able to infuse any (or enough) warmth into his character. To be honest I thought they painted his character into such a corner that he would only be redeemed through this death, or perhaps the death of someone he cared for.

Maybe the issue is really the tone of the movie. It's not dark enough to be a serious drama and it's not light enough or funny enough or romantic enough to truly fall into "Perks"/"Way,Way Back" territory, and it doesn't hold a candle to "Mud."

You should go see it, if only for Shailene, and let me know what you think.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 11:10am

I don't know why, but Miles Teller bothers me.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 11:46am

"I don't know why, but Miles Teller bothers me."

He reminds me too much of the sloppiest fratbros at my college alma mater. So there's that.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 11:47am

Teller really puts me off, as well. His lazy, emotionless performance in RABBIT HOLE almost ruined the film for me.

Updated On: 8/8/13 at 11:47 AM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 11:55am

I really, really loved the film, though I would say I was on board/ rooting for Miles Teller's character right from the start. I thought he was extremely charming on screen, and I feel like I know young men that are very much so like him- struggling with themselves and their circumstances. I found Shailene to be radiant and effortless, as usual. She's such a gem on screen.

I will say the film seems to lose its footing toward the end, but I was very much so invested the whole time.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 12:37pm

For americanboy

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
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I really thought they should have killed Shailene when she got hit by that truck. It was the one moment that took me by surprise in the whole movie, but then they wasted it by only putting her in a cast? Her reaction to getting hit was aggravating too, even though I know it was keeping in character. It's too bad she didn't grow a little bit after that.


END SPOILERS**************************

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/8/13 at 1:31pm

Whizzer--

SPOILERZ**

I semi-agree with you on that. That was the one really false moment to me. I thought the scene in her bedroom after the incident was written rather oddly. It was as if we missed a conversation the two had in between. She doesn't fault him at all. She's so nonchalant about it that I immediately assumed they'd talked about it over the phone or something beforehand. Definitely did feel oddly casual.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/18/13 at 10:21pm

I saw it this evening and absolutely loved it. The 100 minute running time absolutely flew by and I was knocked out by Teller and Woodley. I really thought it was exceptional.

[clever name]

Posted: 8/18/13 at 10:44pm

I read the book and I'm looking forward to the movie. Sounds like they didn't change a lot. I hate when they change a lot from the book!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 9/21/13 at 7:45pm

I liked it more than Whizzer but I thought in terms of adaptation that the writing and dialogue could occasionally be clunky and did not know when to let the actors carry scenes than let it be crafted all out on a page. That dinner scene. Are you kidding me? Does such a conversation among more than two people really exist? The performers all did the best they could even if I found nobody's 'playing drunk' to be remotely believable. But Shailene Woodley is again proving she can often be the best in her movie despite some shoddy material to work with. I felt bad for Mary Elizabeth Winnstead, specifically her wardrobe that manages to never change during the whole movie.

I really hope Gia Coppola's Palo Alto gets distribution soon, though realistically it will in 2014. It manages to make me understand its characters without underlining specific flaws or problems in judgment despite some characters having reprehensible moments. It runs circles around this.

**SPOILERS**

Major agreement with Whizzer on the visit to the bedroom after the accident. I feel like a scene was cut or that Aimee's character just felt guilty because she was drunk/buzzed herself. But I was not surprised. I knew that scene was trouble even if it just ended on her being left there- even if I would say that, it still means a very questionable reconciliation being involved. Anyway, the moment we get the father involved I saw the wheels turning in terms of story and plot and still did not think it felt natural or true to life. There was nothing at that point to indicate Sutter had 'daddy issues'. He could've just been upset and not have seen a mirror reflection. It is a shame, I was kind of enjoying the movie up until that moment. I didn't think Sutter was 'bad' but then the writing felt the need to underline he was not just bad but he **knew** he was bad and suddenly knew why without me or the character getting that kind of indication early on.

Updated On: 10/1/13 at 07:45 PM

[Wynbish]

Posted: 9/28/13 at 1:29am

I finally got around to seeing this. I live in Athens, GA now, which has one "art house" theater that shows indie movies like this. Usually, the movies are only in there for a week, maybe two. This has been playing for a month. Turns out, the movie was filmed in Athens! The first scene practically is him driving down this street, passing a Publix I go to weekly. That freaked me out a little!

I enjoyed it, in spite of not really rooting for Sutter. I didn't care for him and didn't want to accept what the movie was presumably trying to say: everything about him is a product of his upbringing, as if it was inescapable. I didn't want him with Amy and couldn't tell when his feelings started and when the "giving her a boyfriend experience" stopped. You cant make yourself be with someone just because they care so much about you. No one wins, then.

I still left feeling good about the movie. Admittedly possibly because it's like rooting for the home team, seeing all these businesses I see all the time up on the silver screen (fun fact: Miles worked at George Dean's, an actual store!)

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 9/28/13 at 7:44am

This movie, from the awful title to the bad trailer, screams PRETENTIOUS BORE. I didn't have any desire to see this in the first place, and after reading these reviews, I still don't.