[Movie Review] The Spectacular Now (2013)

Posted on August 15, 2013 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Plot Summary: A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."

Director: James Ponsoldt

Writer: Scott Neustadter (screenplay), Michael H. Weber (screenplay), Tim Tharp (novel)

Runtime: 100 mins

Main Cast:

Miles Teller as Sutter Keely
Shailene Woodley as Aimee Finicky
Brie Larson as Cassidy
Dayo Okeniyi as Marcus
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Ms. Keely
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Holly Keely
Kyle Chandler as Mr. Keely

Review: by Lee

All I knew about The Spectacular Now before seeing it was that it was done by the same people who did 500 Days of Summer. I was not a fan of the ending of 500 Days of Summer and was therefore not expecting much from The Spectacular Now.

What I Liked:

It was a pretty good love story. I liked that the audience really got to witness the growth of Sutter and Aimee’s relationship.

There is one particular scene that stands out as a shocker. Everyone in the theater gasped and stared at the screen slack-jawed for at a full minute.

The acting was great. Miles Teller did such a good job at becoming his character that he needs to watch out. If he keeps playing the irresponsible, partying funny guy so well, he’s going to get stuck playing it over and over again.

The writers did a great job developing their characters. The characters were round, and I enjoyed seeing all of the different sides to them. Sutter was a particularly complex character, and the movie got very emotional at times.

What I Didn’t Like:

There was a lot, and I do mean a lot, of underage drinking. It got to the point that someone seated near me started to get upset.

Many of the characters existed for no other reason than to give insight into what was going on. For example, Sutter’s best friend only showed up when the audience needed to renew its doubt about Sutter’s intentions toward Aimee. He existed for no other purpose.

I did not like the ending. It may just be me, but I like my movies to end in a happily ever after with all of the loose ends tied up securely. I even appreciate the occasional sadly ever after, but I do not like to be left wondering what happened. It is not my job as a movie-goer to make my own conclusion.

Other people may disagree with me, but I felt that the ending lacked a certain something. Closure?