Coming-of-age stories are often given a bad reputation for being overly nostalgic and predictable, but James Ponsoldt's new drama The Spectacular Now challenges this assumption by being an unsentimental and honest look at first love and growing up. It transcends any and all clichés associated with teen dramas while also packing an emotional punch, and feels incredibly real.
Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), is a jovial 18 year-old alcoholic who lives for the moment. He's the life of every party, but he's wildly irresponsible and his behavior borders on selfish and narcissistic. After breaking up with his girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson), Sutter gets drunk trying to meet girls at a bar, and is found passed out on a stranger's lawn by Aimee Finnecky (Shailene Woodley) the following morning.
Aimee is everything Sutter is not: sweet, modest, and ambitious. She's beautiful and friendly, but unlike Sutter she's never been in a relationship before. The two become friends, and gradually fall in love with each other, but this doesn't play out like the typical teen drama. The Spectacular Now openly defies formula and predictability, carving out its own little niche in the genre.
The movie is unique to say the least, but more importantly it's intelligent and insightful. It depicts adolescence with both affection and harsh honesty, and doesn't shy away from painful subjects like alcoholism or divorce. In fact, it delves deeply into these issues and explores their effects on each character, especially as Sutter is forced to come to terms with his alcoholic behavior and estranged father.
Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley each give near-perfect performances, and their chemistry together is astonishing. Woodley's Aimee is played with such innocence and kindness that it's hard not to fall in love with her character. Woodley previously starred in the ABC Family TV series The Secret Life of the American Teenager as well as the 2011 drama The Descendants, but her role as Aimee is by far her best yet.
Teller is equally fantastic and gives an element of warmth and sympathy to what would have otherwise been a shallow and obnoxious character. He has previously played characters in Project X and 21 and Over, but until now has never been given a role that demonstrates the full extent of his acting abilities. His performance as Sutter Keely proves that he is more than capable of handling challenging parts.
The script, written by the same pair who penned (500) Days of Summer, incorporates humor and heartbreak in equal measure. Based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Tim Tharp, it condenses the events of the book into a 95-minute movie without sacrificing any of its emotion or charm.
The Spectacular Now exceeds expectations and delivers on all fronts, with extraordinary performances from Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, along with a compassionate and truthful script. It's an all too common trend for coming-of-age movies to be melodramatic and formulaic, but The Spectacular Now is the rare movie that captures the ups and downs of adolescence in a refreshingly original way without sugarcoating it.
Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), is a jovial 18 year-old alcoholic who lives for the moment. He's the life of every party, but he's wildly irresponsible and his behavior borders on selfish and narcissistic. After breaking up with his girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson), Sutter gets drunk trying to meet girls at a bar, and is found passed out on a stranger's lawn by Aimee Finnecky (Shailene Woodley) the following morning.
Aimee is everything Sutter is not: sweet, modest, and ambitious. She's beautiful and friendly, but unlike Sutter she's never been in a relationship before. The two become friends, and gradually fall in love with each other, but this doesn't play out like the typical teen drama. The Spectacular Now openly defies formula and predictability, carving out its own little niche in the genre.
The movie is unique to say the least, but more importantly it's intelligent and insightful. It depicts adolescence with both affection and harsh honesty, and doesn't shy away from painful subjects like alcoholism or divorce. In fact, it delves deeply into these issues and explores their effects on each character, especially as Sutter is forced to come to terms with his alcoholic behavior and estranged father.
Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley each give near-perfect performances, and their chemistry together is astonishing. Woodley's Aimee is played with such innocence and kindness that it's hard not to fall in love with her character. Woodley previously starred in the ABC Family TV series The Secret Life of the American Teenager as well as the 2011 drama The Descendants, but her role as Aimee is by far her best yet.
Teller is equally fantastic and gives an element of warmth and sympathy to what would have otherwise been a shallow and obnoxious character. He has previously played characters in Project X and 21 and Over, but until now has never been given a role that demonstrates the full extent of his acting abilities. His performance as Sutter Keely proves that he is more than capable of handling challenging parts.
The script, written by the same pair who penned (500) Days of Summer, incorporates humor and heartbreak in equal measure. Based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Tim Tharp, it condenses the events of the book into a 95-minute movie without sacrificing any of its emotion or charm.
The Spectacular Now exceeds expectations and delivers on all fronts, with extraordinary performances from Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, along with a compassionate and truthful script. It's an all too common trend for coming-of-age movies to be melodramatic and formulaic, but The Spectacular Now is the rare movie that captures the ups and downs of adolescence in a refreshingly original way without sugarcoating it.