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Movie Night Review: The Wackness (2008)

Posted on | October 1, 2009 | No Comments

WacknessTitle: The Wackness

Year: 2008

Director & Writer: Jonathan Levine

Starring: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby

Length: 99 Minutes

Seen with: Netflix

Rating: [3.5 out of 5]

[3.5 out of 5.0]

1994. The year that culturally changed many lives, unlike any other year from that decade. I was a junior in high school. I was trying to get laid at every waking moment of my life. Of course, I was not very successful at it. (I know you’re just as shocked as I am…) Hip Hop was at it’s peak. A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Biggie Smalls, Mary J. Blige, the list goes on and on. Forget about the content of the film for a moment. That time in my life was incredible. This movie indirectly spoke about my teen years during that time.

In 1994, I was in NYC almost every other day skateboarding with friends and now living legends in the making. I can’t tell you how amazing the NYC skating scene was in 1994. NYC was all about attitude and style. The Brooklyn Banks Contests (On the Manhattan side), the Seaport, White Hall, Wall Street, The Humps, The Big Banks, etc. This film really took me back. The look and feel of everything was so authentic down to the shoes and socks that the actors wore. Mr. Levine did his homework on this one. I have a feeling this was Mr. Levine’s pseudo-autobiography.

As for the story, Luke Shapiro, played by actor Josh Peck, is a teenage pot dealer that has no friends and is rapidly approaching the end of his high school career with nothing to show for it. (in his mind). His parents constantly argue about money and really pay little to no attention to Luke. Over the course of the summer he befriends an ironically depressed pot smoking therapist, Dr. Jeffrey Squires, played by Ben Kingsley, and falls in love with his step-daughter, Stephanie, played by Olivia Thirlby. His odyssey to fulfill his quest for sex comes at a step price of young heart-ache. A side of heartache, which by the way, we NEVER get to see in most Hollywood films. You almost never see the sensitive and elusive guy’s point of view.

I’m not going to give away the entire film to you, but I do highly advise seeing this film. The soundtrack is off the hook.

I’m glad I saw the film finally. I’ve always wished that someone would make a film that I personally could relate to from that era. I wish that someone would make a film about being a skateboarder during that same time period at the Brooklyn Banks. Like a slice of life. Doesn’t even matter if there was a plot at all. Could just be a group of skaters riding and just being.

That is what it was all about. Being in the moment. Moments I will always cherish and never let go of.

1994 was one of the best years for: music, skateboarding, art, films, etc. In every generation there are watershed moments that define that generation. The essence of a group of people. For us…most likely years from now social culturalists will say that the music of Nirvana, with the late-Kurt Cobain, was our watershed moment. Or even quite possibly the day he committed suicide.

Still to this day I knew exactly where I was the moment I heard he was dead.

I was in the local skateboard shop and the radio was on and we were all watching a skateboarding video. Everyone’s face went from flush to pale and we skate rats in an instant, became teary-eyed and sorrowful. I’ll never forget that moment.

But I digress…

See the movie and witness the wackness!

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