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Angus (1995)
25 Years and We're Still Here
If Angus had been released maybe ten or even twenty years later, chances are that this small movie with such a big heart would have received the recognition it rightly deserves. But those of us that managed to come across it either as young adults or kids were treated to such a good film. After sometime of not having seen it, but always remembering it, I found myself thinking quite a bit about this movie and sought it out again. Despite seeing some of the more glaring issues with the film as an adult, there is no denying that it still holds up for me. Not only that, I still relate so much to the titular character at 30 as I did when a kid into my early teens, the time of which I originally watched.
We get to know Angus Bethune from the very start of the movie through his own brief synopsis of his life til the present day. And what we learn is that he is a high school freshman that goes about his daily life feeling like a social outcast and how he tends to deal with the various people within it both good and bad. From the start, we understand that Angus has always been the fat kid ever since being a baby. His mother was in labor for two days before finally delivering and she named him after his father who happened to die of a heart attack from stress during the ordeal. His being bigger than the other kids becomes an object of ridicule for, what can be best described as his arch-nemesis, Rick Sanford, throughout the years. Where Angus was only looking to fit in, Rick would go out of his way to humiliate, which tended to result with the bully getting a broken nose on multiple occasions. Along the way, Angus would meet his best friend, Troy Wedberg, during one such run-in with Rick and develop a crush on a girl, Melissa Lefevre.
The story of the film itself and what we come to know about Angus further is that he is, by his own admission, a fair football player and is good at science. He's so good at science that he manages to get an interview with a top academic school where he believes he wouldn't stand out as much among his peers. At home, Angus has unique, but good relationships with his mother and grandfather. Both adults play active roles in his life and at times feel more like siblings or friends than parental figures. This is evidenced by Angus arm wrestling his mother and the conversations he has with his grandfather. Yet, the dynamics within the family are understood and come more to light when Angus shows his age in times of vulnerability or crisis.
When out in the world or at school, Angus can often be found hanging out with Troy as the two bag on what's cool or normal. Despite this, Angus really just wants to be considered by not being considered. This becomes even harder when his nerves tend to cause him to sweat excessively or fumble things up, especially when it comes to the object of his desire, Melissa. For as much as Angus would like to talk with his crush, one big obstacle in the way is that she dates Rick, something the bully is well aware.
Without giving away too many details, the rest of the film concerns the grandfather getting married to a woman almost half his age, Angus trying to get his experiment to work before his interview, and the impending prom of which Angus was elected King with Melissa as Queen due to a prank from Rick.
Even with its clichés, Angus still manages to feel fresh among its contemporaries and in some ways like it laid the ground work for some of the more recent young adult coming of age stories we received in the 2010s. Ignoring its faults, of which I wouldn't say there are that many of, this remains a favorite and I would recommend to anyone looking for something more accessible within the genre as it has a shorter runtime, most of the cast is made up of (outside the lead) some prolific actors, doesn't preach about the content matter, and gives quite a few laughs to what I would say is one of the more honest takes of said subject matter.
Similar recommendations: The Edge of Seventeen (2016), Love, Simon (2018), Easy A (2010), Eight Days a Week (1997)
A Star Is Born (2018)
Oh, the Irony in a Title
I'm not a big fan of remakes when it comes to making something the exact same way as what came before. Even more so when I've seen the other version. In this case, only knowing the title and the stars of the last version makes this a fresh take for me. The story itself isn't so fresh as it is a standard troubled guy (usually some form of artist) meets younger female (also artist in shared field) that is low on confidence. Their story builds from there into some spectacle that pays off in some tragic way that opens the eyes of the other that life doesn't end simply because the other is not in theirs' anymore.
In Bradley Cooper's version of A Star is Born, he portrays aging country-rock star Jackson Maine, an alcoholic and pill popper. Ally is the woman he meets one night after a performance under the influence. He's left awestruck by her and goes out of his way to convince her to come along with him to another concert. At first hesitant, she relents and even summons the courage to take the stage when a song she wrote is being performed. Their relationship gradually builds from there as she decides to accompany him on tour. She is soon approached by a manager that offers a contract, which she accepts. On the cusp of breaking out, the two marry after Jackson has an episode in which she goes out in search of him. As her celebrity rises, his begins to dwindle, prompting him to fall further into his addiction.
The rest of the movie goes on from there. Again, not such a fresh story, but it is how the story is told that makes this film so good. The chemistry between the leads is great with the supporting cast (especially Sam Elliot) bringing to life what could have been a ho-hum outing. Any award buzz you hear is earned and hopefully there are plenty as Bradley Cooper has done something special for his directorial debut where Lady Gaga shines in her first leading role.
Not to be forgotten is the original music for the film, the majority written by Gaga. Cooper also has a few in there as well as he dedicated himself to not simply making a film with music, but wanted to be sure that the music was the film. He dedicated over a year to learning the guitar and taking singing lessons to be able to perform authentically. Throughout the film, the music is perhaps the most telling of the story than anything as most of the songs within are almost a synopsis of where the characters are at at that point in their lives. If all that weren't enough, as of writing this, the soundtrack album sits at number one on the Billboard 200.
For me, this is the type of movie worth seeing on a big screen in regards to the lane it is in. The way in which the music was recorded plays especially well in big rooms and immerses you in the journey along the way further. It may not be the best film you see of this kind, but it is worth a watch.
Similar recommendations: Begin Again (2014), Once (2007), Dream Girls (2006)