The Spectacular Now (Film Review)

There comes times where a film trailer can fool you into believing it’s about one thing when in fact it’s about another.  This could be done for two reasons: 1) the trailer is trying to attract audiences that normally wouldn't be interested in seeing that kind of film; or 2) the trailer is trying to hide plot twist spoilers that make it an effective film.  A good example is David Fincher’s Fight Club, which was so good at hiding the film’s true colors that it backfired and made low box-office profits. 

When I saw the trailer to The Spectacular Now, the first think that came to mind was, “charming romance comedy”.  Being a true romantic at heart I decided to see it in theaters, and for the first 20 minutes or so it looked like what the trailers were selling.  But slowly the dark underbelly of tone and theme began to reveal itself, and The Spectacular Now took off on a whole other level of what I’d call “a great movie”.

As such I want to make clear that from this point forward there will be spoilers and plot reveals that the trailers may have not revealed to you; however knowing them should not necessarily ruin the film for you, just make it less of a surprise.

The story follows Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) a senior high school student and avid partier.  After passing out on a lawn from a night of heavy drinking, Sutter finds himself woken up by Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley), a fellow high school senior who he’s never met.  Sutter becomes fascinated by this charmingly quirky girl, and the two soon develop a budding romance.  However not all is as cheerful as it seems, and Sutter soon finds himself exploring the darker realms of his family and himself.

The Spectacular Now is a charming film on the surface; containing wonderfully sweet and funny moments between our two main characters.  The longer you watch the film however, the more its underlining dark and somber themes start to show.  To call this film a romantic-comedy is deceptively misleading, and romantic-drama would suit its’ genre more truthfully.  The comedy itself could even be seen as more black humor; making me laugh when I know I shouldn't be.

Sutter is a really nice guy, a class clown, a decent advice giver, and a functioning alcoholic.  I say the last part with emphasis because it is this theme that controls who he is throughout the film.  Sutter lives in the present, the “spectacular now” as he puts it; never really focusing on plans for the future and ignoring the challenges and hardships life will bring in exchange for having fun at the moment.  This does not make him a bad guy (as I wrote above he’s helpful, kind, and can think about others before himself), but shows that he’s lost in his own little world; that is until he meets Aimee.

His perspective on life begins to change thanks to her, but it’s not all positive changes.  He becomes confused and unsure of what to do in life as he tries to convince himself that his relationship with Aimee is nothing more than a fling; yet as his feelings grow for her, so does his drinking.  There’s an important shot in the film where the couple talk about each other’s plans for the future.  Aimee discusses going off to the city for college and wants Sutter to come join her; while Sutter (who is still living in the now) plays around the idea with hesitance and uncertainty.  For almost the entire discussion there is a flask of whiskey held by Sutter in between the two of them.  It is the alcohol that helps to hold Sutter back both physically and mentally, something that Miles Teller does a terrific job acting out.  It is because of him that the character becomes fully fleshed out.  There are scenes where Sutter says no words yet the pain and confusion felt by him is made 100% clear.

However the true highlight of The Spectacular Now is the fantastic acting of Shailene Woodley as Aimee.  Never have I seen a performance of a high school girl done so naturally and realistic!  I could of course point out how delightfully quirky, funny and sweet she is, but what I especially enjoyed was that she felt like any teenager I could see in real life (albeit a very interesting one).  Like here’s something you hardly see in a movie; a teenager whose a fan of manga (Japanese comics) yet not overly strange or creepy.  She enjoys reading them yet is still shy about it because, well its high school (the land where social acceptance is #1 on the list) and stuff like that is considered “nerdy”.  Observe the scene where Sutter first comes over and asks her about the manga; does Aimee enthusiastically express her love for the hobby, or does she act more bashful and reserved like a normal high school student would? (Here’s a hint: it’s the second one).

Here’s another fascinating quality about Aimee; she’s heavily influenced by Sutter.  How many times in film does the popular kid get influenced by the quirky one?  How many times does that happen in real life?  Films seem to love it when the more popular teen changes his/her ways thanks to the less popular one, but in reality it normally happens the other way around.  Aimee is this shy girl (who keep in mind has never dated before) who ends up catching the attention of an attractive popular boy that takes a liking to her; chances are there’s going to be some self-pressure to adapt to what he likes.  And she does change; she becomes more outgoing and starts drinking with him (not unlike how actual teens change in real life).  Woodley is absolutely wonderful with acting this role; performing both sensationally and convincingly well as a high school girl.

If I had to pick out a flaw in this otherwise fantastic film it would be some out of place situations at the end of The Spectacular Now (one of which involves cars).  These situations just feel out of place and too unrealistically dramatic for an otherwise naturally realistic film.  But perhaps the reason I got annoyed by The Spectacular Now’s last third was because of how well made it was before it.  This is a wonderful film, containing some stunning performances by our two leads characters.  If you’re not a fan of romantic films please do not be fooled by its trailers; The Spectacular Now is spectacularly unique and even those with hearts of stone may find them warmed up by the end.