The Spectacular Now

       
     A teacher once told me that it's better to have a cliché idea and arrive at something original, than have an original idea and arrive at something cliché. This applies to a "The Spectacular Now", directed by James Ponsoldt, a director whose previous I work I don't know but am now curious about. It's a somewhat cliché coming of age story about a young man, Sutter, lost in life who fills his void with alcohol, and things start to change when me meets the nice and not-so-popular Aimee. It has other clichés, too. The popular cute girl, the dorky animé-reading other girl, the dead-beat father, the distant mother. And yet, it all comes together in a powerful yet subtle little movie.
             Sutter is a very strong character. Maybe I related to the movie as much as I did because I've dated Sutter in high-school. Twice. Sutter is the magnetic, charismatic, knows-everyone kid (even though he thinks he's a man) everyone met in high-school. He overcompensates his lack of direction in life being loud and drunk. And when he meets his father and he sees the man he will become if he doesn't change, he doesn't like what he sees.
             Aimee, however, was a character for me that lacked a little bit of an arch. She's realistic as the young somewhat insecure girl that has no idea how beautiful and smart she is. Throughout the movie, she is hurt over and over, physically, even, and never seems to learn from those experiences. That was a minor flaw for me in an other-wise very enjoyable movie.
             The chemistry between actors Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley jumps out at us on the screen. It is there throughout, but there are two scenes in particular that it shines. The first one is the sex scene between them. The actors felt very comfortable with each other, even though their characters didn't. The scene is simple, but beautifully written, acted and shot. The other scene is the one where Sutter sees his father, played by the always great Kyle Chandler (Coach Taylor!), for the first time in a while. So much happens in this scene emotionally for the characters. Aimee understands better who her boyfriend is, and Sutter gets a glimpse of what his future will be like if he doesn't change, and he doesn't like what he sees. The scene ends with his father leaving the two teenagers to take care of the bill, and they scrap their wallets to do so. It's such a piercing way to end a scene. Kudos to the writers    Michael H. Weber and Scott Nestadter (from 500 Days of Summer, which actually made me feel like I wasn't going to like the movie. Yay for surprises!), I thought, only to read later that it was an improvised moment between   and     . The ending of the movie is somewhat predictable and... why not, cliché. But there's just honesty to it. You believe it. You feel their pain, their love, their fear and their hopes, making it the kind of movie that I just instantly fall for.