The Spectacular Now (2013) User Reviews (262)

A rare worthy entry into teen Dramedy genre

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 15 August 2013]

Greetings again from the darkness. Coming-of-age teen dramas with a comedic flair that speak to that tumultuous period of life are rarely worthy of discussion. The exceptions hover film greatness: Rebel Without a Cause, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Dazed and Confused, The Breakfast Club, and Say Anything ... Along comes young director James Ponsoldt and his adaptation of Tim Tharp's novel. While not perfect and falling just short of the level of those classics, it is nonetheless a welcome addition and quite interesting.

It's tempting to call Sutter (played by up-and-comer Miles Teller) a happy-go-lucky kid. He's the frat boy type - quick with a quip, smooth with the parents and girls, and the envy of the masses. That term would be misapplied to a kid who not only is never without his flask, but also gives them as gifts. He uses his wit and booze to dull the pain of his aimless existence. We see his lackadaisical efforts at completing a college admission form, and it's used as a plot device to track Sutter's progression through the film.

Brie Larson is terrific as Sutter's perfect match ... right up until she decides that his philosophy of living in the now (even spectacularly) doesn't leave hope for much of a future. After an extreme night of drinking and partying, Sutter gets awakened while laying in a neighbor's front yard. Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) is Aimee Finicky who recognizes the popular Sutter, even though he has no idea who she is. Slowly, the two connect on a level previously unknown to either ... some good, some not so wise (just like real teenagers).

This couple of opposites learn much from each other, and soon enough, Sutter is confronting his long last father (Kyle Chandler). No real surprises what he discovers, but it's a life lesson that must be learned. Sutter seeks more from his remaining family - a big sister (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who escaped the grind, and a workaholic mom (Jennifer Jason Leigh) doing her best to provide hope for Sutter.

The script is co-written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber who also wrote (500) Days of Summer. John Hughes and Cameron Crowe proved they could present teen dilemmas in an entertaining way, and this one follows the same structure. This is a dialogue-heavy story as Sutter and Aimee struggle alone and together to figure out life's next steps.

I will say that for the first few minutes of the movie, I found Sutter to be the kind of guy that I would typically have no interest in. Tip of the cap to the filmmakers and Miles Teller for turning that around. It should also be noted that Shailene Woodley is so naturally affecting, that her character never comes across as anything but sincere. Given the state of today's mainstream coming of age stories, this one definitely deserves a look and could gather some attention come awards time.

Spectacular Moments, But Also Flawed

[dirtesq · 6/10 · 22 September 2013]

The Spectacular Now is a film with great potential that is ultimately unfulfilled. The acting is excellent, especially Shailene Woodley's performance as Aimee, and there are moments that are truly exceptional. The scene where Sutter (played by Miles Teller) and Aimee are throwing newspapers together shortly after meeting feels genuine and provides a believable premise for how these two very different people begin to develop a bond. And the lovemaking scene between them is a wonderfully genuine and poignant depiction of the awkward but tender side of teenage sexuality, free from the typical gratuitous nudity or crude jokes.

The film has major shortcomings, though. Too much is told rather than being shown, and Sutter's character never really seems to grow. We are told at the end of the film as he is rewriting his college essay that he now suddenly gets it all and intends to change, but he also quits his job because he can't promise not to come to work "loaded" and crashes his car into his own mailbox while driving drunk shortly before he has this supposed breakthrough. The scene where his mother is telling him how different he is from his father and how he has such a big heart would ring a lot truer if we had seen some of this heart during the preceding 90 minutes of the film. Instead, we are left with his mother telling us at the end of the film about the kind and generous things he did in the third grade instead of being able to witness any sort of similar kindness and generosity in Sutter's behavior. It would take a miraculous leap for the viewer to believe Sutter has really changed to any material extent when he shows up at Aimee's college at the end of the film.

Shailene Woodley's Aimee is genuine and lovable, but the viewer can't help but feel she is being sucked into Sutter's destructive and self-centered world and worry for her for the consequences. Aimee's mother supposedly wants to hold her back from leaving home and going to college, even though we never meet this mother and never see the dynamic of this relationship. Perhaps the one arguably positive thing Sutter does for Aimee in the entire story is to encourage her to stand up to her mother about going to college and pursuing her own life, but again, we never see any of this transpire and are only told what happens.

There were several lost opportunities in the film to show the audience growth in Sutter's character that would have been much more effective than his telling us in his essay. If the filmmakers really want the audience to believe Sutter has learned something and grown in a meaningful way, some indication that he had acknowledged and was prepared to address his alcoholism is critical. And if we are to believe that he actually loves Aimee, and not just that she is his next best girlfriend option for now after being dumped by Cassidy, we needed to see him demonstrate that love by something more than just giving her a hip flask or showing up at her college at the end.

Overall, the film is not an unpleasant experience, and the performances are quite good, but one can't help but feel there was a lost opportunity here for this film to be much more than it is.

Finally a good teen movie

[siderite · 8/10 · 6 January 2014]

I wanted to see this film to soothe my wife. She usually loves adolescent romance stuff, so I thought I would suffer through it. Instead, I ended up liking it more than she did.

The thing about romance films and adolescence films in particular is that the kids are presented like complete idiots, like aliens from the planet Dumb. In order to keep up with this superficial image all other characters must act the same. The result is a complete fake.

The Spectacular Now is nothing like that. From the start it portrays teens as complex, intelligent, troubled about their past and their future, maybe laid back alcoholics or chronically shy or overachievers with low self esteem. And they all interact like human beings. It's a joy to see a film like this.

I also loved that they didn't use the cheap tricks of romance movies in general. No evil adversary to define the character as good, no ultimate goal to direct the entire film from point A to point B, no artificial accidents or catastrophes to move people out of their stupor, no highschool cliques, no Facebook or Twitter dramas. Instead, normal people doing normal stuff, trying to get over themselves and have a happy life.

The film was not without its flaws. It was a little too slow, for once. It only lasted an hour and a half but it felt like more. Also there is a somewhat seamless jump of a few years that takes the viewer by surprise (I still don't know when it happened). Also, I am a bit grumpy today, the film probably deserved a 9. Go watch it!

A disappointing portrayal of troubled characters

[Gordon-11 · 30 September 2014]

This film tells the story of a high school student who parties and drinks hard. He meets a nice girl who is opposite of him, and they influence each other.

The film requires the main characters to be likable in order for viewers to care about them. Unfortunately, I do not care for either Sutter and Aimee. Sutter is an irresponsible young man, while Aimee's character is poorly developed to contrast Sutter. The events that happen in the film are either not engaging or dramatic enough. Even when Aimee gets hit by a car, there is little follow up on it. We do not get to see the emotional reactions of the people around her.

It tries to show the emotional baggage of the past and the difficulties in growing up. However, there is little depth in depicting the characters' psychological states. I find it disappointing.

A Gentle, Almost Say Anything

[britishdominion · 6/10 · 21 August 2013]

Sundance-darling "The Spectacular Now" is a curious one. With a script by the guys who wrote "500 Days of Summer", the movie is about as slice- of-life as they come, and it is interesting and well-acted.

As the film unspools, it may subconsciously remind viewers of the imperfect messiness of Cameron Crowe's teen ode "Say Anything" - complete with a Cusack-like performance by Miles Teller.

Teller's Sutter character is smooth, confident, charming, occasionally- unlikable and flawed. It's an accomplished balancing act.

The centerpiece performance is really Shailene Woodley, as Sutter's new girlfriend Aimee. She gives the most natural performance of a teenager on screen in ages. Her unaffected, open assignment elevates every scene she's in.

Both performances are in service of a film that drifts through the senior high students' last weeks before the end of high school, and takes a mutedly-pessimistic approach of the future before our two leads. These two kids are invisibly shackled to their town, in their home life, their pasts. Echoing the crux at the centre of 1989's "Say Anything", Aimee figures an escape plan; Sutter seems to be blindly comfortable in his 'spectacular' now.

Pulling "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" alum Jennifer Jason-Leigh into the film as Sutter's world-worn mother was a nice touch. Her vacant-eyed mother is in keeping with the film's less-glamorous take.

The picture labours a bit too much in over-emphasizing Sutter's crutch, and the mid-film scenes visiting Sutter's estranged father had trouble finding the right tone between character and caricature. The movie doesn't feel any urgency to build to a conclusion, but when it does, it is understated, uneventful - kind of like our two characters, and sort of like real-life, too.

Life is messy, as is "The Spectacular Now". It eschews the studio slickness and over-plotted determination of more polished teenage products. Despite two grounded, award-worthy lead performances, this film seemed a touch sketched and ever-so-slightly inert.

One of the good ones

[mycatserena · 7/10 · 30 December 2013]

Compared to other movie adaptations of teen novels, this is one of the good ones. It stayed true to the book, maybe with a slight alternate ending, but it didn't deviate from the plot. I felt Teller portrayed Sutter very well and both the main leads' acting felt genuine and believable.

The story isn't a predictable one, sure you have a stunning Woodley playing a girl who hasn't ever had a boyfriend, a part that was hard to believe. However, from how Woodley portrays Aimee, the typical nice girl, you can understand from Aimee's character and personality why she hasn't. I wish the movie would have added a bit more of how much Aimee changed because of Sutter, and some of the negative changes too, something that the book focuses a lot more on. I suggest to those planning on watching this to read the book as well, as I found that I got to know the characters a lot better from reading it.

If you're up for a feel-good, light comedy with predictable movie romance formula, this probably isn't that type of flick. I'd call this a more coming-of-age film which definitely has a Say Anything and Kings of Summer vibe, and if you liked The Spectacular Now then I would definitely watch those movies.

Nothing special.

[thevisitor967-526-781026 · 6/10 · 3 September 2013]

There seems to be a lot of coming-of-age movies being released within the past year. IMO the best of the crop are THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and THE WAY WAY BACK. Unfortunately, I can't put THE SPECTACULAR NOW in the same league. There just was nothing special about it. I think the main problem I had with the film was that (1) I didn't connect with any of the main characters as I did with PERKS, and (2) I didn't find it funny or heartwarming like WAY WAY BACK. To me, NOW seemed more like a TV movie than anything else. I mean, what was so original about the boy being like the father he never saw? Or the geeky girl having a crush with the cool guy at school?

Smells Like Teen Spirit

[bengantz · 10/10 · 31 July 2013]

I was lucky enough to see The Spectacular Now at an advance screening, and walking out, I had the unmistakable feeling that I can only describe as a "good movie buzz." You feel a little light on your feet. You're thinking not only about what you've just seen, but how it relates to you. It's a heartfelt story that distills all of the beauty, tenderness, and apocalyptic bleakness of youth into a 95 minute love story that portrays teenagers in the most honest way since the films of John Hughes. The Spectacular Now won Sundance's special jury prize for acting and within minutes, the reason for this becomes apparent. Beautiful, naturalistic performances all around. Miles Teller portrays Sutter Keely with charisma and an effervescent charm while Shailene Woodley imbues Aimee Finicky with a tender shyness that makes her character incredibly endearing. When you watch the two of them on screen together, their chemistry is not just apparent, it's intoxicating. And it's not just a movie held together by its performances. Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber have written an incredible screenplay with flawed yet likable characters you can't help but root for, and James Ponsoldt has delicately directed the script to make his best movie to date. The Spectacular Now is much more than another indie darling. It has breathed life into the "teen movie" genre by treating its characters with maturity and honesty. This is the coming of age movie of our time.

Millennials Beware, Mid Life Crisis Coming Through

[jaysanchu07 · 7/10 · 3 March 2022]

As I watch The Spectacular Now, i cannot help but reminisce on my younger years, when now was all that matters, when love was crazy and earth shattering, and when thoughts of the future felt unnecessary. For Average Joes out there, it is easy to find something to connect to in this film as it tells a grounded story that reflects on teenage experiences, from dreams, to falling in love, to the struggles to conform. As for the our dearest leads, i was Wowed by Miles and Shailene's absurdly natural performances, further allowing me to relate to the film through its characters. With their awkward mannerisms, spontaneous reactions, energetic and intense moments, I sincerely felt that they, were once us. Great job by the filmmakers for creating such a soulful and sincere teenage movie that is extraordinarily ordinary (in the realist sort of way).

A refreshing take

[thereisnothingleft · 9/10 · 17 December 2013]

I found The Spectacular now to be a very refreshing movie to watch. We've all seen the coming of age high school romance blahblahblah thing before, but the film takes you where you didn't expect it to go, and that is one of the qualities that makes it a great experience.

Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are fantastic, particularly Woodley. I don't know how you can't be a fan of Teller, he is his usual self in this one and adds even more depth to himself. Woodley's as real as it gets in her performance. I didn't notice it until my second viewing in terms of how natural she was, but she was terrific.

Those two are already great to cast as leads, but it's always fun when the casting for anything is just all around fantastic. Tamper your expectations a bit because it's all about the leads in this one, but Coach Taylor, Bubbles, and Saul Goodman are great in the limited time they are on screen. I mean, Kyle Chandler, Andre Royo, and Bob Odenkirk.

The emotional impact of this film really hit me towards the end, and certain factors are very predominant in the movie that you definitely do not expect. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say take away a lot of the laughs you were expecting, and brace yourself for the feels and a very serious tone. This may damper some who came for this because it's from the dudes who did 500 Days of Summer, but It's still very good and the movie is actually funny in the spots it wants to be.

Overall, I think this is absolutely a film you want to see. Where the story goes widens the appeal of this movie by far in my opinion, so if you were just not going to see it or judged it by the trailers, don't. Give it a shot.

A less elaborated kind of Good Will Hunting movie

[Skipfishh · 6/10 · 5 December 2021]

This movie reminded me a lot of "Good Will Hunting". I won't say it's bad or plagiarism, but it has many similarities. Still it's a good movie, well structured, with good acting performances, good direction and a script with few flaws. Few, however existing.

Anyway, it deserves some attention.

Rating 6/10.

Brilliant and painfully honest

[rivertam26 · 10/10 · 29 August 2013]

You know when you see those movies and you say they just don't make these anymore. Well this is that type of movie. Joining the ranks of the best teen movies ever made and possibly the most honest of the bunch The Spectacular now is absolutely brilliant. The film centers on Sutter played charmingly by Miles Teller a charming teenage alcoholic who after a breakup with his girlfriend Cassidy befriends a painfully Naive young girl names Aimee played effortlessly by the mega talented Shailene Woodley. Both of the characters are so complex and so is their story. Like so many other films concerning this age group it is coming of age but unlike most others it doesn't fall into any clichés and offers no easy answers. Equally moving, touching, hilarious and even a little shocking this film is painfully genuine. A true testament to the choices and experiences that shape you as a person. Miles Teller is brilliant as Sutter he's charming and damaged you go back and forth between loving and hating him and easily relatable sometimes in the worst ways and very reminiscent of a young John Cusack in his hey day. Shailene Woodley is so confident in her portrayal of Aimee so naive, vulnerable and insecure desperately in search of acceptance and love because of her home situation. But that's not where the great performances end. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Sutter's sister Holly steals her scenes, Brie Larson as his girlfriend Cassidy, Jennifer Jason Leigh as his hard working mother Sara, Kyle Chandler as his father and just the whole cast feels so real. The Spectacular Now isn't just the bets film of the year it's an incredible experience. It's the type f film you leave haven't learned something. A film that inspires you to make changes. 5/5

Live for the future!

[datorsiers2 · 6/10 · 17 August 2015]

An emotionally grasping movie about two extra-ordinary teenagers, who fall in love. Sutter is a nice guy, who loves everybody and everybody likes him as well. He meets this weird girl Aimee, who changes his view of life, eventually.

The main point of the movie is to show young teens and kids, that stagnation and lack of desire to pursue any goals in life is going to lead you to an empty life, where you can only love yourself, since you don't let anybody change your ways. The message is definitely worthy for today's society, since so many people don't know what they really want in life and just sort of give up. It shows, in the movie, that Sutter, eventually, escapes his delusional mindset and tries to move on in life, not saying college is the only way to go, but it certainly is better than drinking beer with some old guys at a pub.

Another important thing here is the way Aimee acts, she is completely blinded by love here, Sutter can do anything and she won't even care, since he is her first ever boyfriend and she is happy with the way everything is, although it is not clear what happened in the end, in my opinion, she just forgave him and they moved together, judging by the pattern of her actions, throughout the film.

Overall it was not horrible nor excellent, it was just an alright movie to ease through without upsetting your brain. Had a lot of cringe worthy moments and just awkward conversations that were not really played out that well, but well... was still somewhat watchable and interesting.

This movie made me irrationally angry (Spoiler Review)

[jeppehellegers · 2/10 · 11 September 2016]

I get that this movie gets high ratings, I really do. The acting is good, some of the cinematography is really nice and the music is beautiful as well. The problem with this movie is the message. I was constantly waiting for the protagonist to get told what an egotistical asshole he is, but: it doesn't happen. At the end he has this monologue about how he didn't want to get hurt and thought "living in the moment" means he never has to grow up, woopdiedoo.

Also, people didn't get that the popular protagonist wanted to date Aimee(Shailene Woodley)? She is an incredibly beautiful girl, not really convincing as an intelligent nerdy virgin outcast who reads books I'd say. And yes, that's one of the stereotypes in this film.

A movie about a destructive teen with a destructive relationship who drinks and drives, thinks he is the coolest guy ever and would cheat if he had the opportunity. Saying you are afraid of failure, getting hurt and hurting people and pretty much emotion in general doesn't justify ANY of this actions in this movie. This guy should have been morally put in place by the author, but it didn't happen. Much potential, terrible execution.

Awkwardness doesn't necessarily equal reality

[jmc4769 · 6/10 · 24 August 2013]

I live in Athens, Georgia, the location where this movie was filmed and the hometown of the director, James Ponsoldt. I loved Ponsoldt's previous movie, Smashed, which by the way featured a stunning performance by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays Sutter's sister in this movie. So I really, really wanted to like Spectacular Now.

But what a huge disappointment. Sometimes when I watch a movie, I know in the first five minutes that I'm not going to like it. This was unfortunately one of those movies. My biggest problem was the awkward, underwritten dialog. Some scenes were almost painful to watch. I know that the awkwardness was supposed to make the movie more realistic. But if there are teenagers that talk like this, I've never known any. The dialog here, especially in some scenes, is more like improvisation than reality.

My other problem is that we are initially led to believe Aimee is a serious, bookish, "good" kid. But the way the story develops and the way Shailene Woodley plays the part, Aimee comes across as shallow, giggly, gullible, and immature, not to mention lacking in character. Having never taken a drink of alcohol, once she falls under Sutter's spell, she zips right on past beer and goes straight to regularly drinking the hard stuff without giving it a second thought, as if she's never even heard the word responsibility. Sure there are plenty of teens like Aimee, and Woodley does a good job of portraying her. But we see enough of teens like this in commercial Hollywood movies. I was hoping for a more interesting character in this independent film.

Both actors have contrasting acting styles but still find common emotional footing

[Likes_Ninjas90 · 7/10 · 2 December 2013]

Part of the reason why high school films are often sanitised is because they have to be suitable to attract the very demographics they are portraying. Perhaps there is also the factor of adults not wanting to confront the truth about what their children are doing away from them. The Spectacular Now is an odd addition to the high school canon. Distributed by Disney here in Australia, a company that specialises in mostly wholesome entertainment, the film is upfront about the frequency of alcohol is the lives of high schoolers and that some students are not as clever as they think and seem destined to be failures like their parents. Yet simultaneously, the film is conventional in its character arcs, predetermined for its terribly flawed central character to become a less selfish individual and learn some important life lessons. It's an affecting story but will there ever be a film where the lesson is just how irreparable everything is?

There is still honesty about many of the film's situations and the problems of its terribly flawed central character. With great assurance Miles Teller (Rabbit Hole) creates an extremely cocky and arrogant anti- hero in Sutter, a class clown who broke up with his girlfriend due to a social misunderstanding. He takes little account of the fact that he drinks too much, carrying a hip flask in his pocket and is failing one of his classes. In spite of this seemingly unlikable character, the film grounds itself through Shailene Woodley's note perfect performance. Graced with utter naturalism, she plays Aimee, a sweet and very measured girl, who has a secretive nature and mystery surrounding her. She meets Sutter one morning when he is lying on her lawn after a drunken night out.

Both actors have contrasting acting styles but still find common emotional footing. Woodley's has a reserved tentativeness drawn from her character's willingness to be selfless around other people. She pays for her mother's bills through a paper run and bonds with Sutter when she agrees to coach him for one of his classes. Meanwhile, Teller engages us by exuding flamboyant comic energy that overcomes the immobile juvenility of his character's frat boy exterior. The relationship that blossoms between these two characters is psychological and personal. It is built from the way they encourage one another to be more proactive in their lives and overcoming the emotional holes of the past as they are both dissatisfied by the absence of their fathers.

I like the way the director James Ponsoldt also employs a visual style that gives time for the actors to inhabit their characters. There are a number of moments, including a walk at a party and a frank sex scene, photographed in long, single takes so that the romantic temperament and social tensions are heightened by the believable chemistry of the leads. The screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber is also funny and refuses to skimp over personal details for the characters. On this level, I enjoyed the film more than their previous collaboration (500) Days of Summer, which by comparison seemed overly glossy, imbalanced and disinterested in its female lead.

The strength of their writing is that on top of the comedy they skilfully use a subplot involving Sutter's previous girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson) to embed dramatic tension into the main narrative thread. Is Sutter on the rebound and just using this very kind, engaging girl to hit back at his ex? The way that these two plot points often overlap in the same scenes, as Sutter looks over to his ex to see if she's listening, is compelling. This also creates ambiguity and uncertainty around the stability of the central relationship. As Aimee becomes more assertive, drinks more frequently and then starts thinking seriously about their arrangement, we wonder if her world will come crashing down. You're left with a feeling of dread in your stomach, thinking of the inevitable heartbreak and pain.

The second half isn't quite as satisfying. A different subplot involving Sutter's father Tommy (scruffily played by a boozing Kyle Chandler) takes precedence over his relationship with Aimee. This means that the dramatic payoff doesn't come organically through an ongoing stream of conflict between the two young leads. You're left waiting for the payoff between the story of the ex-girlfriend and Aimee and it never eventuates in a satisfying way. Instead, there's a big, shocking climax that takes us into a third act but despite its dramatic charge, it doesn't result in any personal conflict between Aimee and Sutter.

The weakest parts are in the denouement where lifestyle changes are made, several honesty sessions take place and a voice over reminisces about leaving the past behind. It takes the heat out of what could have been something painful and ultimately true. Growing up and coming of age is about experiencing pain and realising that not everyone is going to change and look at their behaviour and actions. Some people will never take account for who they are. Maybe for the sake of some troubled kids these high school films should show what unchanging people look like, instead of what their parents want them to be.

Living in the now

[dvc5159 · 7/10 · 13 August 2013]

Sutter (Miles Teller) doesn't really face a lot of trouble recently. He's a party-loving, fast-talking clown who lives fast and in the moment, never thinking of the future. After getting dumped due to a misunderstanding, he goes out to get wasted, and finds himself being woken up by Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a regular plain Jane who has nothing really to offer, but with a very bright future ahead of her. Sparks fly, love blossoms and scabs are pulled, slowly.

What is remarkable about this familiar coming-of-age tale is that it doesn't pull back any punches. James Ponsoldt's "The Spectacular Now" is a raw, brutally honest film about teenage angst and explorations of self-worth. Ponsoldt and his writers (the same guys who wrote "500 Days of Summer", here basing off Tim Tharp's novel) purposely avert the generic "teen movie" clichés and doesn't rely on melodramatics, all the more transforming the film into a haunting and depressingly realistic exploration of youthful angst and lost chances.

Adding to the realism is just how natural the actors and characters are. If there is any indication to the amazing crop of recent young talent that are popping up in Hollywood, then Teller and Woodley would rank among the better ones so far. The duo doesn't just portray the couple as lovelorn teens - they fit the parts and connect so well that you will believe that these are real people we're watching, and not cardboard caricatures you see on the Disney Channel.

Sutter lives in the now, but tensions are burning behind Teller's eyes, revealing depths and fears that drive him to do so. Aimee is not a popular girl, but she has a soul, waiting for that special someone, her voice breaking even in hushed tones as she's never felt that way before. Every moment between the duo feels so real and raw that it hurts emotionally when they're hurt. All due praise to Teller and Woodley because both are absolutely terrific in their roles, and a salute to promising careers for both of them.

The screenplay is frank, with teenagers talking and acting the way they should in real life, hence the R-rating. I suppose guns, explosions and global destruction are less intense than teenage angst and emotions. No matter. This is a movie that is written and directed with a fiery passion, thanks to Ponsoldt and his crew. Quick-witted, dry humor sprinkle among the more dramatic moments to lend to the rich self- discovering aura of the movie, which lessens as the movie progresses realistically and depressingly to a fitting ending. This is a movie where the quiet moments matter and the emotions boil under the faces, and the audience is too afraid to realize it until it explodes.

Because Ponsoldt and his writers love and respect their characters, this emotional burst will put the audience through the wringer at times, while slightly older viewers will feel a burst of nostalgia flowing through them as they recreate their youth through Sutter and Aimee's eyes.

Just like adolescence, this is a bittersweet yet honest journey, and I for one am joyed that someone treats their characters and audience with equal amounts of respect and intelligent. The characters in this movie are real and true, and so is the emotional punch. "The Spectacular Now" is one of the best films of the year.

The Spectacular Young at Heart

[Quinoa1984 · 9/10 · 17 August 2013]

The Spectacular Now is a coming-of-age drama mixed with young love story about Sutter (Miles Kelly, an interesting, uncynical young find who can communicate a lot of different sides to this character without coming off too fresh or overwrought) who starts off obnoxious (but in the way that is believable to the way that teenage boys can get obnoxious) and in the wake of a failed relationship meets a good, sweet girl, Amy, and a natural relationship unfolds in their senior year of High School. While this is going on, he has a problem with alcohol - which extends to Amy - and about a past history that Sutter has to confront with a dead- beat father.

The film that is very well written (based on a book but having that same quality in the dialog and story turns that speaks to their intelligence at navigating conventions) without being show-offy, and performances that feel raw and sensitive and try to avoid a lot of clichés (or that Hollywood way of showing teenagers "like we think they are" as opposed to how they are closer to life), and a strong dramatic story about young love and overcoming the flaws in yourself.

It's not perfect, and has a few little things with the alcohol element to the film that irked me (which is much bigger than what you may realize seeing the trailer, much more actually, it's really a companion piece with this director's previous movie Smashed which is also about boozing), but its real and honest and that's so rare to find in a teenage story like this. Woodley has a long career ahead of her, and has that great distinction of being naturally pretty, dramatically intuitive, and yet is not SO pretty that you can't accept her as a cute teenager girl (or... dare I say Mary Jane in the next Spiderman movie?) Go see it - it's not top 10 of the year great, but it's great in the ways that matter for a story like this.

A Traditional and Predictable Coming-of-Age Story

[FilmMuscle · 6/10 · 7 September 2013]

Just when Hollywood is buzzing after a coming-of-age film's release, yet another one opens at a local movie theater. It seems as if this particular kind of story is immune to negative opinions because The Spectacular Now has been awarded a tremendous 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hmm, there must be something truly great about the film, right? Critics have been consistently praising its thematic material and, again, its coming-of-age nature. Now, first of all, I'm here to refute all that acclaim. I might be buzzkill, but I just have to point out the clear flaws of the film from an unbiased perspective.

Before we begin, The Spectacular Now is essentially a love story between two polar opposites- a party animal with drinking issues and a timid, selfless girl. Their journey of a relationship commences once Sutter (played by Miles Teller) finds himself lying on someone's front yard when he's thankfully woken up by Aimee (Shailene Woodley), and that's where it all begins. For now, let's keep everything optimistic and positive by pointing out several strong performances from the likes of Kyle Chandler to Miles Teller.

In my opinion, Miles Teller embodies a fascinating character who's riddled with countless problems, and though he seems totally fine from the outside, it's the inside that's eating him up as he continues to struggle with his inner self. Though he appears to be a complete douchebag at first, he understands it as well as you do, which obviously creates much more sympathy for his complex character. At this point, Miles Teller has been in a few party comedies already, and so, he already knows how to play that kind of character. In short, he's entirely convincing as one of the school's popular, obnoxious kids.

However, though the film has its fair share of terrific actors, it still suffers from a mediocre script, and I mean "mediocre" in the most genuine way possible. You know what the opposite of "genuine" is? This film or, at least, its rough start. What you witness is plentiful of cheesy dialogue between its two characters so much so that a whole new level of superficiality is introduced. Nothing about these two characters feels natural as they spuriously laugh and comment in the most stereotypical fashion. Honestly, I usually tend to dislike films centered around teenagers because I often struggle with relating to the characters or simply just liking the characters. Even though Aimee is introduced as the almost-innocent and kind girl, she grows fond of Sutter's lifestyle and chooses to participate in it as if the film is telling you that this is surely right.

Of course, I can't get into spoilers, and that really sucks because I can't delve into the meat of the film, but I guess I'll have to work with what I can. Aside from its characters and faulty writing, the themes present in the film have been done time and time again. Alcoholism issues? Check. Family issues? Check. Two unlikely compatible characters actually falling in love with each other? Check, check, check. I absolutely love how some critics love to pan certain films for their predictability- their predictable endings and predicable structures- but yet this film is a significant representation of a predictable story. It follows along in a fairly traditional manner, and just when something unexpected transpires, it only slightly affects the total world. Even though something incredibly painful occurs to one of the characters, they turn out fully fine after a matter of scenes. The ending is also extremely predictable and ends exactly the way you thought it would end from the very beginning. After an undeniably touching scene presents itself, an anti-climatic scene only follows a few seconds later.

Albeit the typical themes, there's that one arc again where Sutter persists in questioning his place as a human being and the damage that he's clearly causing to the people around him- that is what I found engaging and saddening. If only the film would explore more unconventional and atypical themes and concepts, then it would've delivered a far more memorable experience. To make things clearer, I did not say I ever disliked Sutter's character because he really was a fresh person- an anti-hero, so to speak. It's the stories about unbelievably flawed individuals that always fascinate me more over a generic "goody-two-shoes" hero. His inability of moving on with his life and indecisive attitude are further resonant aspects of the film's layered design.

With all that being said, The Spectacular Now isn't the "spectacular" film critics are leading you to believe because it does suffer from overly familiar themes and plot points, predictability, and unsatifisying dialogue. If you're prepared for another coming-of-age story, you could try it out, but it's definitely nothing to write home about and applaud left and right.

Spectacular spectacular

[btnthx · 10/10 · 15 August 2013]

Growing up I always had a pretty utopian view on what being a teenager in high school would be like. Once I got there, it was nothing like what I had thought, and plus we had no kids that looked like James Spader. Just because high school was not like a John Hughes film didn't make it a bad thing, I just think I would have had more fun at those schools than mine. Now a day in the perfect world is not what people want, they want something real, and in "The Spectacular Now" it feels like what being a teenager feels like today.

Now being a middle-aged man this is only a guess, but it sure feels right on. Sutter (Miles Teller) is that guy everyone likes, you know the life if any party. Sutter is enjoying every minute of high school, great times, and a great girlfriend named Cassidy (Brie Larson) to top it off. Sutter also likes to drink, and not the typical teenage drinking, he goes as far as carrying a flask and even putting alcohol in anything he drinks. After Cassidy breaks up with him, Sutter drinks a little too much and ends up passed out in the front of a house, not his own. He is found by Aimee (Shailene Woodley), who knows Sutter from school. Sutter starts to gather interest in Aimee, but all the while hoping to land back with the women he thinks he wants in Cassidy. Aimee has never had a boyfriend and quickly starts to fall for Sutter hard. With school ending soon, Sutter is all about the now, and has no idea what his future will hold, he never wants to grow up, because where is the fun in that?

A lot of people think that their high school years were their highest point in their life. I mean you have no worries, no responsibilities, you just live life. Everything is easier, including love because how innocent everything is. Sutter and Aimee are at that point where things start to move, college and life are in front of them making them have to make choices they never had to before. Written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber (500 Days of Summer) from the book by Tim Tharp, the story is a real coming of age story. I know that is a bad description, but where so many coming of age stories fail, this one soars. It is all perfectly directed by James Ponsoldt (Smashed), who set the movie in his home town of Athens, Georgia, and even shot the film in locations he grew up in. It all comes together by the flawless performances by Woodley and Teller who are perfect for each other on screen. I sometimes think what it would be like to grow up in this day and age, well I think I just got to see what life is like today and like this movie it looks spectacular.

Brian Taylor

http://the2cinemen.blogspot.com/

good performances from the two leads

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 6 November 2014]

Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) is the life of the party with his girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson). She dumps him after a misunderstanding. He gets passed-out drunk and Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley) finds him asleep on a lawn during her paper route. He's an irresponsible teen who drinks too much. He finds something compelling about the quiet bookworm nice girl and asks her to the prom. Aimee has never had a boyfriend before and he has daddy issues.

This movie is low-key in tone. It allows the two leads to bring out their natural charms. The great thing about it is that the actors fit their characters so easily. The daddy issue isn't the most original and Sutter himself would say that his issues aren't greater than most other kids. I still like the performances.

A high school romance with more emotion and truth than any other

[JustinBell4 · 10/10 · 24 January 2013]

A high school romance between an alcoholic, party boy and a more reserved, shy, girl. This movie did an exceptional job of hitting reality. Everything about this movie was believable, and all the actors fit their roles. This movie had a similar feel in style to Ruby Sparks, in that at the heart it was a romance, but there was a lot more too it. Family drama, fear of the future, alcohol, and even friend drama were all in this, just like most teens experience.

In a Q&A afterwords an audience member asked why this was such a idealistic school, and why it didn't have any bullying and the truth is, because even though those exist, most schools don't have a serious problem with it.

Another audience member said they didn't recognize anyone in the movie, and that the lack of makeup made it feel more real. While the lack of makeup is true, this movie has quite the cast list.

Realistic portrayal of teenagers growing up.

[TxMike · 25 February 2014]

This movie has gotten a fair bit of early praise so I was expecting something a bit better. However, it was a worthwhile viewing, a reasonably realistic portrayal of high school kids dealing with all the modern issues of growing up.

Miles Teller is the lead character as Sutter. He seems very happy-go- lucky and friendly with everyone. He even has some skill helping others realize things that may not be apparent. But he has a very dark personal side. His dad left home when Sutter was maybe 8 or 9, and he had no contact with him after that. He didn't even know where he was or how to contact him. Perhaps as a result, or certainly contributing, he had no ambition. He was smart, but sloughed off homework. And he had developed a drinking problem, he never seemed comfortable unless he was sipping some type of booze.

After one night of binging he ended up on someone's front lawn, and had no idea where his car was. Shailene Woodley as good girl Aimee was up early for her mom's paper route, she finds him, wakes him up, gives him a ride, and they start to get to know each other for the first time even though they are both seniors in the same school.

The role of Aimee was a difficult one to play realistically. She is a smart girl with a good work ethic, and not really shy, but feeling that she didn't have the looks or the interests to make her a popular girl. At one point she even says she has no "old boyfriend" to think about. Sutter begins to take an interest in Aimee after his girlfriend broke off with him, plus he needed tutoring to pass Geometry. They become friends and more, but it never seems that Sutter is really interested in her.

There is a scene or two where Sutter and Aimee drive 3 hours to look up his dad, after his older sister gave him contact information. That didn't turn out well because his dad was preoccupied with his friends and almost totally ignored the kids, even asking them to pick up the tab for the pitchers of beer. Sutter realizes he is becoming just like his dad.

The story wraps up with hope, as Aimee gets into the college she wants and Sutter manages to graduate, while also realizing he has to get himself out of his self-destructive spiral. It doesn't try to tie everything up in a neat package, only to say that there is hope if you realize that NOW is the time to look at your life and do something with it. The past is interesting and important, but it is not the NOW.

Solid, coming of age tale of troubled teenager derails slightly with abrupt happy ending

[Turfseer · 6/10 · 26 January 2014]

'The Spectacular Now' is directed by James Ponsoldt, who gave us last year's alcohol-themed drama, 'Smashed'. This film is also partly about alcoholism but overall it's a coming of age story, focusing on the trials and tribulations of one Sutter Kelly (played by an engaging Miles Teller).

Sutter is an 18 year old well-liked and outgoing high school student, who appears not to have any problems aggressively pursuing women. His very good-looking girlfriend, Cassidy, eventually decides to leave him because Sutter is fast developing a rather nasty drinking problem and has no real ambitions, except living in the 'spectacular now'. One night Sutter gets drunk and ends up on a stranger's lawn. He's awakened by Cassidy's opposite, the semi-shy 'good girl', Aimee Finecky (played by Shailene Woodley of 'The Descendants' fame').

In the first half of 'The Spectacular Now', we're led to believe that the film is going to be about Sutter's conflict over the two girls, but soon that doesn't turn out to be the case. Sutter and Aimee both challenge each other to stand up to their mothers. In Aimee's case, she wants to go to college in Philadelphia but her mother wants her to remain home, helping her with her paper route job. Sutter wants his mother to give him his long-lost father's phone number, so he can get in touch with him (for years the Mom has refused to comply).

The second half of the film's narrative veers in a decidedly different direction. We soon find out that Sutter's charming demeanor is a mask for a severe lack of self-esteem. He drives for hours with Aimee to see his father, who turns out to be a hopeless alcoholic, makes the teenagers pay the tab for their dinner at a bar and then fails to return after he promises to within an hour. Devastated by his encounter with his father, Sutter pushes Aimee away despite her expressions of love for him; an argument ensues on the way back home and Sutter orders Aimee out of the car. As she steps out, she's hit by a car by fortunately only breaks her arm.

Sutter's downward spiral continues as he fails to see Aimee off to school at the bus station. He then goes on a bender and drives drunk back home, knocking down the mailbox on the front lawn, in front of his horrified mother. She, however, consoles him with a heavy dose of motherly love and manages to convince him that he is loved, despite his claims to the contrary.

'The Spectacular Now' is a well-made, conventional coming of age story. It's well-acted but the narrative doesn't have a great deal of twists and turns. The resolution of the story is heart-warming, but a bit pat, since that heavy dose of motherly love is enough to turn the troubled Sutter around. For those who like happy endings, 'Now' is for you. But given the extent of Sutter's lack of self-esteem, a few hugs and soothing words from this mother, probably would not have turned him around so fast, in real life.

There's nothing spectacular about this movie.

[santiagocosme · 5/10 · 23 October 2015]

OK, there is... the title. But that's it. From the reading of the title til' the end of the movie, you will just go through a very average movie, based on a very average script. The story of a young lost man who feels completely uninterested in his future and just wants to live the now. We then realize that his missing father disappeared when he was a kid, and he tries to find him again. Only to discover that his father doesn't give a damn about him (what a surprise). But the important part is really the young man finding love in the most unlikely girl. In fact, she is so different that it's almost impossible to sense any chemistry between them during the movie. But since the director decided they should be together, it is what happens. I don't know, maybe I am too harsh, cause there was an attempt at doing something decent, but I love cinema, and this really left me completely flat.