Thursday, June 30, 2016

Thursday Movie Picks: High School Reunion


I got nothin'.

It's Thursday and the topic for this week's Thursday Movie Picks Hosted by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves has me stumped. We're talking movies about high school reunions. Sounds simple enough, but when I start thinking of movies I either like, or dislike enough to talk about in a post I'm drawing a blank. In times such as these, I turn to Google.

And I still got nothin'.

At least the first page of that search gave me nothing. Oh wait, one popped into my head. Sorry, give me a sec, I'm scrolling down to type that title somewhere so I don't forget it. Scrolling back up and, shit, I still need two more movies. I get to the second page of that search. Look, found another one.

I'm tired of looking. I think I can throw one more in there. Let's do this.

Just Friends
(2005)
Back in high school, Chris (Ryan Reynolds) was overweight and pimply with braces. He was hopelessly in love with Jamie (Amy Smart) who has stuck him deep in the friend zone. Fast forward ten years and he's, well, he looks exactly like Ryan Reynolds. He's also a big time producer who handles Samantha (Anna Faris), the biggest pop star in the land. None too bright, Samantha accidentally sets her private jet on fire forcing the two to land near Chris's hometown. He goes home and, while waiting for the travel thing to sort itself out, reunites with Jamie and tries to woo her, but finds himself competing with Dusty (Chris Klein), also a former high school loser who has cleaned up considerably. I found it pretty funny and think it's an underrated film. I'm not about to tell you it's the greatest thing ever, but it gave me some good laughs.


Zack and Miri Make a Porno
(2008)
In this case, the high school reunion provides our main characters with the motivation they use to embark on the titular porno flick. Zack and Miri are platonic friends who went to high school together and share an apartment. While at their own 10-year reunion, they run into a former classmate who has become a gay porn star. When they find themselves in dire financial straits they figure the best way to solve their problems is to make and sell their own porn movie. They get some friends and acquaintances to help and away we go. This is a pretty solid raunchy comedy that comes across as writer/director Kevin Smith's attempt at making a Judd Apatow flick.


Young Adult
(2011)
Mavis (Charlize Theron) is the author of a well-known series of "young adult" novels. With the popularity of the series waning and her rotten marriage just ended, she decides to go back to her hometown and try to seduce her high school sweetheart whom she hasn't seen in years. Since she's a total wreck of a person, this doesn't go as planned, and she goes through lots and lots of ups and downs in trying to make her latest dream come true. It might sound like a run-of-the-mill rom-com, but it is far from that. It is a comedy, but a very dark one. Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt are both outstanding and really carry the day. It's an excellent film, just one about sad people doing sad things in hopes of curing their sadness. (Click here for my full review)


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20 comments:

  1. Yes to all 3 films. Just Friends is a riot for the fact that Ryan Reynolds plays a goofball and Chris Klein plays a funny douchebag. Yet, it was Anna Faris who made me laugh the most.

    Zach and Miri Make a Porno is quite funny as I'm often mixed on Kevin Smith's films but this is one of the films of his that I do like. Young Adult is seriously underrated not because of Charlize Theron but also because it's a character study of a woman who is falling apart as it is clear she needs help and has a hard time facing reality.

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    1. Yeah, these are all pretty fun. And Young Adult is way underrated. It's a brilliant character study.

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  2. I haven't seen any of these, but Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Young Adult are already on my watchlist.

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  3. Good God in Heaven that is a frightening picture of Matt LeBlanc to see first thing in the morning!!

    These are pretty good pulling out of the air for desperation picks. Zack & Miri was okay because of Seth Rogan & Elizabeth Banks, who deserves better than this, but I'd never watch it again.

    I'd say though it's billed as a black comedy Young Adult is really a drama about a sadly lost couple of people with excellent performances. It allows a glimmer of hope at the end but there were times during it that I was squirming in my seat at the humiliation that Charlize's character created for herself.

    I forget why I never saw Just Friends in the theatre but I've meant to catch it since and it slips my mind so thanks for putting it back on my radar. I queued it up already before I forget again!

    You were not alone in struggling with this. I came up with two right away and had nothing for a third so I went searching and boy did I pay a price for that! I finally remembered a doc that fit but not before watching something so odiously bad I've included it with a caution.

    Lifeguard (1976)-Lifeguard Rick Carlson (Sam Elliott) loves his work and his laid back Southern California life. But when he attends his 15 year high school reunion he starts to feel he is stuck in a rut. Restarting a romance with his school sweetheart Cathy (Anne Archer), now a divorced mother of a young son, he becomes even more confused about his future.

    Prodigal Sons (2008)-Fascinating documentary by Kimberly Reed who returns home for her high school reunion to an uncertain reception…when she left town years earlier she was a man. Looks equally at her interaction with her former classmates and her estranged family, her adopted brother, who has been permanently disabled in a car accident, has a surprise of his own-his birth mother was the daughter of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth! At times very sad but always interesting.

    Spring Reunion (1957)-Returning to his hometown to sell his house one-time “Most Likely to Succeed” footloose wanderer Fred Davis (Dana Andrews) has no intention of attending his upcoming 15th year reunion until he runs into successful but lonely real estate agent and the “Most Popular Girl” Maggie Brewster (Betty Hutton), his former girlfriend. As they take tentative steps towards each other their different perspectives might ruin their chance for happiness before they are even sure they have one. Subdued meditation on failed dreams was the troubled Hutton’s last feature film as well as one time silent movie queen Laura La Plante’s final bow, she plays Betty’s mother.

    Dishonorable Mention- Back in the Day (2014)-Moderately successful actor Jim Owens (Michael Rosenbaum) returns to Indiana for a high-school reunion. During the course of the time he’s home he acts like an idiot and so do most of his friends doing stupid and outlandish things. I watched this specifically because it seemingly fit this week’s theme so well but it was so moronic I had to list it with a caution and look for another actually good movie.

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    1. Lol. When I first saw that pic I wasn't 100% sure it was him. I'm guessing it wasn't first thing in the morning for him. Maybe last thing, but he's been up a while.

      Haven't seen any of your picks, but I really want to see Prodigal Sons. That sounds amazing.

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  4. I also picked the first two. I wasn't crazy about Zack and Miri but I liked the reunion scene. I have a soft spot for Just Friends. I liked that one quite a bit.

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    1. I liked, not loved Zack and Miri. Just Friends was really funny. Glad you like it.

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  5. Young Adult is such a good reunion movie and Charlize Theron is sooo good in this. I wish Reitman would make more films like this, Up in the Air and Juno. He seems to have disappeared in the past few years.

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    1. Agree with all of this. Theron is great and need more movies like those.

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  6. I've seen all three of these films, but had you not mentioned them...I too, would have drawn a blank at this topic. Well, other than American Reunion...and Grosse Pointe Blank. Oh, and that Romy and Michelle movie.

    Well, shit. Look at that.

    My fave out of these three is easily Young Adult. While I love what Theron did in that movie (despite being an awful person, though...damn), I think Patton Oswalt's role in that movie is the best. That guy should be in more stuff. Or at least, more...better...stuff. Okay. I gotta get some sleep.

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    1. Almost picked American Reunion. Almost.

      Patton Oswalt is great. I definitely agree he should be in better stuff.

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  7. Not see the first two - I think I might avoid them. But YOung Adult I did! You always the bad person to suffer and they do but the fact she doesn't change at all, she's not learnt anything from experience you just want to slap her face she's so nasty.

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    1. She is definitely a piece of work, that's for sure.

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  8. Yeah...I also found it difficult to pick a three films, had to google the answers. Haven't seen two of your picks, but I have seen Young Adult a few years ago. Certainly remember Mavis was a foul person

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  9. DUDE. I mean, Young Adult is BRILLIANT and Charlize blows that entire year's Best Actress lineup out of the water, but.... that's a bit of a stretch. She's in town for a baby shower LOL.

    That said, I TOTALLY almost picked it as my third since I couldn't think of any others.

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    1. It is brilliant. Glad to see it's getting so much love.

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  10. I regretfully never saw Young Adult. Probably will one day. The other two are great picks. I LOVE Just Friends and totally wish I'd thought of it. So much funnier than it got credit for.

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    1. Hope you get to see Young Adult. It's tough to watch, but well worth it. Just Friends is a bunch of fun. Glad to hear you're a fan.

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