Stevie Kim-Rubell

This movie changed my life... I honestly can’t imagine who I would be without this cinematic masterpiece. In one word: complex. I’ve already watched it five times trying to pick apart the plot line and I still have not managed, that’s how profoundly deep and multifaceted it is. The script is of course incredible, but what really brought it to life was the acting. With every passing scene I felt my connection to these actors and their storylines deepen, creating a bond one could only describe as spiritual. However while the casting was inspired, the writing is in a world of its own. I mean I would go so far to say this is the best comedy film of our decade, nay the modern era. The jokes were so nuanced and sophisticated they required certain levels of intelligence and a specific palate for comedy to be fully appreciated. I’m torn between whether my favorite aspect of this cinematic experience is the acting or the plot. What starts off as a seemingly basic, overdone teen romance turns into a riveting comedy that somehow artfully ties in more serious feelings of grief, rejection, and insecurity. I learned so much from these 4 friends, namely the lifeguard/therapist who really captured the essence of what it is to be a human in today’s world in his subtle use of the ocean waves as a metaphor for life. Another very realistic and touching moment was between Johnny and his mother, in which he drops the timeless and unique line “I’m not dad!” leaving his mother, eyes watering, alone in the wake of his devastating words. The moment that really touched me was one many viewers might overlook. As Penny pulled her prom dress out of her suitcase, tears filled my eyes. Her opportunity for a re do on what should have been the most pivotal night of her life made me reflect on the lost moments in my life when I might’ve missed opportunities to connect with my fatherless-surfer-dreamer-boyfriend on a deeper level. While all these emotionally riveting moments might lead you to believe that this is another story of broken teenage love, it is so much more than that. Each character is so perfectly cast to fulfill their respective roles in this deeper version of a friends-esc comedy. With Camila as Chandler, hitting the crowd with her famous one-liners, Penny as Ross with her perpetually perturbed expression, and the country music hunk as Phoebe because he too can play the guitar. Obviously Johnny is Joey because, duh J names, and their “own type of smart”. The lifeguard is Monica because they both are lovable, but slightly irrelevant. I also love how they weren’t afraid to go for the long haul in the set up of their jokes. The way Pamela Anderson’s significance in the end of the story as Lifeguard Man’s sugar mommy is foreshadowed by her bay watch style, pant-less, morning jog was truly genius. Keanu... Oh, Keanu. Just when I thought this movie couldn’t get any better, 6’ 1” Keanu shows up and adds a depth to this plot I didn’t know could be reached. I also loved the lucid dream scene and think it’s so great that the producer allowed their 11 year old son to add something to the movie, the kid’s got talent! Truly, all the words in the world can’t begin to describe just how life changing this film has been for me. At my lowest lows, it has been these hour and 15 minutes of joy that have brought me out of the depths of despair. I makes me physically ill to think that this production has yet to win an academy award.