No play on words title, this time, for an entry detailing my experiences with a movie screening.
In the short review that follows (I find it much harder to review things I enjoyed) I'll make sure not to spoil any of the movies more surprising moments. Nor will I reveal the ending or even attempt to approach discussing the alternative view on the world and growing up provided. I'll just say that it moved me and made me thing in way a movie hasn't in a long time.
My neglect to be "punny" is most likely because, unlike last semester's evening with Sunshine, tonight's feature is an exceptional slice of cinematic glory. Mark and I went to see a private viewing of Rocket Science, a beautiful romp through one of suburbia's most fractured circumstances. The film, which earned Sundance Film Festival reognition, chronicles one year in the life of the unfortunately named, stuttering high school freshman Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) as he falls in love with the beautiful and liquidly confident Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), captain of the school debate team. Hilarity and twisted sweetness ensue as the tongue-tied boy dives headfirst into Policy Debate, love, and life.
The cast, made almost entirely of youth and implemented adults only to supplement the realism and advance the plot, is nearly flawless. Thompson's insecurity and poor oratory is infinitely endearing and truly creates an empathetic atmospher while Kendrick plays the cookie-cutter cutie you love to hate. Equally strong at the performances of Josh Kay and Vincent Piazza, playing the socially awkward pornography enthusiest Lewis and Hal's kleptomaniac brother Earl, respectively. The setting, soundtrack (most memorably featuring The Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" behind a revenge sequence) and screenplay breathe New Jersey and the film protrays Policy Debate culture, to the best of my knowledge, fairly accurately.
If you're a fan of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, I Heart Huckabees and Little Miss Sunshine you can't miss Rocket Science when it is released this August. And if you currently or have ever competed in high school speech and debate, well, you should already havre August 10th marked on your calendar.
Bomb the Blogosphere,
Mike
Don't worry, we'll be back to discussing my own fractured circumstances soon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Hey, FM. Thanks much for your terrific and sweet posting about my movie. If you post an email address, I'll shoot you a longer note of sincere thanks. Cheers, Jeff Blitz
fstringe@ramapo.edu
if you're so inclined.
wow, thank you!
Post a Comment