A Seriously Lame Movie
I watched this lifeless movie a while ago on Netflix streaming. I wish I did not. It reminds me of the times when I used to meet up with friends from my NYU days and someone would say something stupid like, one of these days I am going to make a movie about us, about this, about what it is like to meet up after college. I would think to myself, damn, that sounds awful. Perhaps you should find some better material. Read a book or two. Read a few magazine articles. Look harder for material, because we aren't that interesting. Unfortunately, the person who penned this movie was not around to heed my advice--a real tragedy.
Therefore, here are my complaints about the movie. It is okay to borrow and plagiarize from a hit movie from the 1980s like The Big Chill, but at least try to make the situations interesting. Elevate the drama--be a dramatist, use invention, make your scenes bolder, anything. If you are having problems getting it together, Rewatch Beautiful Girls, a great friends getting together movie, to see how it is done. That movie, like The Big Chill, had a bunch of great funny characters who entertained you.
What we have here is a movie about a bunch of dull friends from NYU who say dull things while going through the motions of a lame soap opera. I couldn't recall one line of memorable dialogue if I tried. You have your studly loner still pining away for his married girlfriend he left many years ago. Snore. Meanwhile her weakling husband is confused about the passion she still feels. Then you have another storyline in which two buddies haven't talked to each other since the time the handsome one stole the annoying one's girl. After that you have the virginal funny girl who is trying to help a 911 survivor heal. The scenes with shaggy haired sandal wearing Elden Hansen were poor in my view, especially the scene where he cries like a big baby when he reveals his pathos--whaaaa, I I am so sad, help me, the pain I feel, whaaa, I am a bad actor. God that ranks as one of the worst bits of acting I have seen in a while. What happened to the good child actor from The Mighty? The only person who did a good job in the movie was Will Estes, who is actually solid on that Tom Selleck cop show.
This movie reminds me of David Shimmers’ directorial debut, the similar sounding titled, Since You've Been Gone, another friends getting together movie I also did not like, but is still miles better than this snooze.