The Spectacular Now

Dir: James Ponsoldt

2013

****

While I couldn’t directly relate to the characters or their situations, I do feel that The Spectacular Now is one of the most honest and realistic portrayals of youth to have come out of Hollywood. I’m not interested in youth literature for obvious reasons but from what I’ve read Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber’s treatment of Tim Tharp’s novel makes suitable changes while staying true to the characters and overall feel of the story. It’s better than their previous screenplay anyway (The Pink Panther 2) but that said, they wrote 500 Days of Summer before that and the brilliant Disaster Artists four years later, so credit due. I’m going to be honest though and say that there is nothing special about James Ponsoldt’s direction, although there are a couple of nicely composed shots – the one used for the poster in particular. The strengths really are in the performances. Miles Teller plays Sutter Keely, a charming and popular 18-year-old who is partying and drinking his way through senior year in high school. He and girlfriend Cassidy Roy (Brie Larson) are the popular couple at school but after she decides he's a lost cause she breaks up with him and starts seeing Marcus (Dayo Okeniyi), the School President and an athletic star. Sutter goes home and writes a college application supplement, in which he says that his biggest hardship in life has been getting dumped by his girlfriend the day before. He then goes out and gets drunk. He wakes up on the front lawn of Aimee Finicky (Shailene Woodley), a girl in his year whose name he doesn't know. Aimee is about to do her mother's paper route, which she does every morning, though she gives most of the money to her mother to pay the bills, which Sutter protests at being unfair. Sutter does the paper route with her and they have a good time. He sits with her at lunch and asks her to tutor him in geometry, which he is failing, and learns she is smart, funny and into sci-fi and comics. Sutter goes home and deletes the supplement he wrote about his life's biggest hardship, abandoning it for the time being. He then invites Aimee to a party, where he introduces her to some Sci-Fi fans and then asks Cassidy to have a drink with him, but Marcus arrives to pick her up. Sutter and Aimee go for a walk and get drunk from his hip flask. Aimee confesses she has never been drunk before, never had a boyfriend and doesn't think she can go to college because she has to take care of her irresponsible mother. Sutter tells her she is not responsible for her mother, she is beautiful, and the boys at the party liked her. Sutter then kisses her to further convince her of this. The next morning Sutter wakes up hungover and realizes that he asked Aimee to prom the night before. Avoiding his college application, Sutter IMs Cassidy, who invites him over. They get drunk in her room, reminisce and Sutter says he's happy with his life living in the moment. Cassidy say she needs more than a moment; she needs a future, which Sutter can't do. Marcus, who is jealous of the way Sutter and Cassidy have fun, confronts Sutter, who reassures him that Cassidy doesn't want him anymore, but perhaps Marcus could lighten up sometimes. Sutter has been avoiding Aimee and her friend Krystal (Kaitlyn Dever) warns him not to hurt her. Sutter takes Aimee to dinner at his sister Holly's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who's married a wealthy lawyer and become a housewife. At dinner Aimee talks frankly about the death of her father from an opiate overdose and her dreams of a perfect marriage. As Sutter and Aimee become more serious, Aimee invites Sutter over to have sex. They are not sure exactly how to do so, and it becomes a very awkward scene. Afterwards Sutter confesses that his mother kicked his father out when he was a child and has forbidden him from seeing him, even though he'd formerly lied and told her his father was an air force pilot. Sutter and Aimee make a pact to stand up to their mothers. Sutter buys Aimee a hip flask as a gift for prom, so they can drink together. Aimee is too shy to dance, so Sutter dances first with Cassidy and they're the center of attention, but then he drags Aimee onto the dance floor for a slow dance. The night goes well and Aimee tells him that she is going to college in Philadelphia where her sister lives, and can help her find an apartment and job in a bookstore. She asks Sutter to come with her and go to junior college there. Sutter gets his father's (Kyle Chandler) phone number from Holly and arranges to meet up to see a baseball game, like they used to, and takes Aimee along. His father has forgotten about their plans and instead takes them to a local bar, then ditches them when he picks up a woman at the bar. He asks them to get the tab and meet him back at his motel, but when he fails to show up they find him back in the bar drinking with his mates, so they head home. Aimee attempts to comfort Sutter by telling him she loves him, but Sutter, angry and drunk, snaps at her. After almost causing an accident, he tells her he's no good for her and forces her to get out of the car. Aimee, crying and not paying attention to the road, is clipped by a passing car. Aimee has only a broken arm and immediately forgives Sutter for the incident, despite the fact that he had never driven her while sober. Meanwhile, Sutter is failing geometry, as he has always been bad at it and no longer has Aimee to tutor him. At graduation, Sutter opens up his diploma and reveals that it is blank, implying that he failed senior year and did not technically graduate. After graduation, Sutter refuses to drink with Aimee from her flask. Cassidy informs Sutter that she is going to California with Marcus. He suggests he might pay a visit to them but Cassidy says it's a bad idea and she's trying to do things that are healthy for her. She hugs him goodbye and tells him he will always be her favorite ex-boyfriend. His boss, Dan (Bob Odenkirk), tells him he has to let go of some staff. He wants to keep Sutter on, because he is great with the clients, but only if he stops turning up drunk. Sutter says he can't promise that and quits. Sutter then drives past Aimee, who is waiting for him by the bus to Philadelphia, leaving her heartbroken. He heads to a bar and explains to the barflies that it was for Aimee's own good. He drives home drunk, totals his mailbox, and gets in an argument with his mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh). He says he saw his father and he's just like him. His mother says he isn't like his father at all because he has a kind heart. Sutter reassesses his life and finally completes the personal statement for his college application, even though he knows it's way too late. He confesses that his biggest hardship is himself. Afraid of failure and getting hurt, he has tried to shut out everything and everybody, so while his life might not be "harder than normal," he has made it so with his own actions. While living in the now is okay, there will be another "now" the next day, and he will make sure his "nows" add up to something. He drives to Philadelphia and finds Aimee as she is leaving class. He looks up at her hopefully. She suppresses a smile when she sees him. What I love about the ending is that it is completely open. Sutter has made a decision to better himself and I believe he will but if this is real life – which it certainly feels like – then it is 50/50 whether or not he and Aimee make it. You can essentially choose the ending you want, based on your own views. There are moments of striking drama, such as Sutter’s conversation with his boss, that way his father leaves, the way Aimee becomes dragged down by him and the whole ‘favourite ex-boyfriend’ thing. It’s quite touching really. If only my own teenage years were as eloquent, then maybe I would have been saved much heartache and misunderstanding. A great film for teenagers that shows the value of communication, honesty and self-analysis. The performances are perfect.