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| A24 |
When it comes to high school movies, you’ve usually got the
choice of one of three roads: the shy nerd who branches out, learns to live his
life, and gets the girl, the rowdy party guy who gets a reality check, learns
to be a bit more responsible, and gets the girl, or the underdog sports
flick. The pronouns can change, the era
can shift back and forth, but the basic outline usually remains the same. However, every once in a while, you’ll get
something that breaks from the mold, like The
Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off or, in this case, The Spectacular
Now. Directed by James Ponsoldt and
written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the film follows two
teenagers, the brash Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) and the quiet Aimee Finecky
(Shailene Woodley) as they try to navigate each other and the world around them
during their last month of high school.
While the tagline sounds typical, the great script, amazing directing,
and incredible performances make the film a real wonder, an honest, endearing,
and painful snapshot of young life.
