"The Wackness" but more like the dopeness

Towards the end of the The Wackness, there is a scene where the protagonist, Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck), stands with his love interest, Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby) on the beach at Fire Island. She says to him, "I see the dopeness in everything, and you just see the wackness". Ever since this movie I have been focusing on it's dopeness. See also: usage of 90's vernacular to convey my feelings. It's a movie that will make you nod your head in agreement while mouthing the words to old school Biggie and chuckling at the sight of OJ Simpson on the cover of the New York Post. It's a traditional coming-of-age story wrapped up in 1994 nostalgia. For my first good old fashioned, gritty, feels like it was shot with a handi-cam, indie film in months, I kind of wanted to hug it and take it home with me to watch over and over again.

It's Luke Shapiro's last summer before departing for college. It's the same year that Guilianni was elected and started laying the smackdown on New York City crime. While everyone is running scared, Luke ramps up his lucrative marijuana dealing business with the help of his psychologist Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) (and Stephanie's step-father) who he pays in weed. Have I mentioned that I love New York? Dr. Squires has his own bag of problems that he carries around proudly. It's not just slightly quirky or off-beat it's The Full Blown Crazy which forced me to fall in love with Ben Kingsley just a little more. Olivia Thrilby - a rising indie queen after her role in Juno - plays the sophomoric yet overly and overtly sexual, Stephanie with all the fierceness she can muster. She's the typical 1990's girl that we all knew way back then with giant gold hoops, tiny shorts and shell adidas. Set on the background of Luke's parent's financial problems and marital doom between Dr. Squires and Stephanie's mother (Famke Jannsen), Luke tries to make the best out of what has been given to him even if it means doing it illegally.

Coming of age tales are of a relatively easy formula. An angst ridden teen + crazy parents + a dilemma that really isn't a dilemma but when you're 17 every thing is a big fucking deal + quirky friends + a hot high school chick = a movie. With those easy to follow steps it's hard to have an Epic Fail but having a film of this nature that isn't sent against the Depression or World War II or last week, is what bumps the ordinary that much closer to extraordinary. As adults in 2008 we remember 1994 with a bit of fondness. It's one of those years that feels like it was yesterday but was actually 14 years ago (OMFG!). For someone who barely remembers the 80's but can tell you what she was wearing the day OJ Simpson was chased down in his Ford Bronco, this was the first time that I felt like I got it. Which is probably what made the whole thing enjoyable for me; not the fact that it was surprising or so drastically different or that I found writer and director Jonathan Levine to have written the most brilliant script on the planet but because sometimes it feels good to go back. And this film makes an excellent little time machine.

This film is limited release so you'll have to find it at your local hipper than thou movie theater or *gasp* add to your Netflix queue. 

Comments

[sils]

I do believe I was wearing a Co-ed Naked Mountain Biking shirt the day of the OJ Simpson slow car chase.

Ouch.

[kdiddy]

I've really been looking forward to seeing this. I hope I have a theater nearby that's hip enough.

[Christopher Robin]

As I was reading this, I swear I was transformed back in time. I think this movie would be a flashback flick for me! Awesome, now to find it!

[v]

I think i might be one of a minority of people who didn't feel this film. It's way white-male-centered. And dark. Not at all what one would expect?

[Heather B.]

V - I was expecting for it to be dark based on the previews and it is white-male-centered but for the most part coming of age movies as of late have been about young girls with Juno being the latest success story.

So yes you would be correct but I still enjoyed. Was the film ultimately entertaining without being stupid or talking down to the audience? Yes.

[Heather B.]

Also based on a lot of stuff that will be coming out, this was mild in the 'not expected' and 'darkness' categories.