by Brett Parker
There are certain things I wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a coming-of-age teen flick. Things like a teen being a successful pot dealer, or a teen doing drugs with his therapist, or a soundtrack made up of wonderful rap and hip-hop, or a sex scene that rivals Atonement in the steaminess department, or a teen rescuing an adult from crippling angst and not vice-versa. For that matter, I wouldn’t expect any film to have Sir Ben Kingsley quote the Notorious B.I.G. while giving advice to a younger man.
All of these things can be found in The Wackness and they help make it one of the most realistic and enjoyable teen dramadies to come along in recent memory. There’s truly nothing in this film you haven’t seen done in countless other films, yet rarely has it been done with such honesty, wisdom, and hilarity. It never condescends to melodrama, but keeps things grounded in the real world, taking in the good, the bad, and the hilarious. If nothing else, we can’t remember the last time a film like this was so well-acted…or so damn funny!
The film takes place in 1994 New York City (you know you’re getting old when 1994 is considered a nostalgic era). Manhattan teen Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) has just graduated high school yet is filled with angst and uncertainty about his future. He spends his days peddling marijuana from a beaten-up ice cream vender he pushes around the city. Trying to get a handle on things, he pays a psychiatrist named Dr. Squires (Ben Kingsley) in weed to have him listen to his depressed thoughts. As it turns out, Squires is just as anxious and depressed as Luke is. He’s trapped in a thankless marriage and a boring job while constantly wondering where the excitement of his youth has gone. He almost sees some of it in Luke, if only the kid could overcome his angst. Pretty soon, these two lost souls begin a sort of peculiar friendship in which they bounce deep thoughts off each other and try to push themselves through the challenges of everyday life.
Things take an interesting turn when it’s discovered that Dr. Squires is the stepfather of Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby), one of Josh’s classmates. Josh has had a crush on Stephanie for the longest time, yet Stephanie has only accepted him as the class pot dealer. After catching word of his strange friendship with her stepfather, Stephanie decides to see what Josh is all about and begins hanging out with him. Pretty soon, an attraction grows and the two teens embark on young love, giving Josh a happy new outlook on life. Yet Squires, suffering from romantic disappointments himself, warns Josh of the hazards of dating young women and tries to prepare him for it. This turns out to be a wise decision, for Stephanie may not be feeling the relationship as much as Josh is.
As far as teen movies go, this is one of the most observant and sincere ones I’ve ever seen. The relationship between Josh and Stephanie is not played for laughs or formula but instead resembles what a teen relationship would actually look like. What happens between them, and how Josh handles it in the end, shows more intelligence and maturity than most youthful romances of today. And I can’t tell you how much I loved and appreciated the hip-hop soundtrack. Most teen films are plagued with disposable songs by pop-punk rockers no real teenager would truly listen to. I can’t vouch for all people of my generation, but when I was in high school, we listened to Biggie, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blidge, etc. Most teen flicks shortchange us on hip-hop yet it is in full, beautiful swing in The Wackness, making for a refreshing and sublime score. I hope future filmmakers take note of this musical epiphany.
Aside from being an effective teen story, the film is also a tale of adult disappointment and male bonding. The role of the pot-smoking, sex starved Dr. Squires provides the perfect opportunity for Ben Kingsley to go over-the-top. But as he proved in Sexy Beast, You Kill Me, and Oliver Twist, he knows how to keep outsized characters subtle and convincing. He sells every wild aspect of the role and paints a unique portrait of adult anxiety almost anyone can empathize with. As wonderful as The Wackness is with all of its plotlines, the most involving one deals with male friendship. The best and funniest scenes are when Luke and Squires philosophize on life’s mysteries together. Many emotional curveballs are thrown in their individual paths and I was touched by the way their relationship encourages each other to keep fighting through their messy lives. The film has a great ear for the way men talk with each other, usually in free-flowing speeches of never-ending philosophical matters, constantly bouncing around and searching for divine truth. There’s a wonderful scene in the end where Josh shouts thoughtful wisdom at Squires in an attempt to keep him from walking into the ocean. Writer/Director Jonathan Levine wisely makes saving a friendship feel more dramatic than saving a romantic relationship.
The Wackness may not be the most original film, yet its one of those rare films overflowing with moments you can’t help but love. I loved the moment where Luke and Squires attempt to escape from cops who catch them smoking weed (a scene that provides the funniest Forrest Gump reference I’ve ever seen). I loved the way Luke lights up a sidewalk like Michael Jackson after his first kiss with Stephanie. I loved the moment where Luke tells his family what he wants to do with the rest of his life. And you can’t help but love the performances by Peck and Thirlby, who make their characters so raw and cool that they put most young actors to serious shame. These two have huge futures ahead of them as far as I’m concerned.
It seems like every summer a small indie gem shines through in the crowded blockbuster season. Past titles like Garden State and Once come to mind. Even though this is one of the best seasons for summer blockbusters we’ve seen in a long time, The Wackness is still worth seeking out if you can find a theatre lucky enough to be showing it. You can only see The Dark Knight so many times before you feel like trying something new and enjoyable. Think of this film as the tasty cherry on top of the grand and delicious hot fudge sundae that is the 2008 summer movie season.
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