For this blog entry here I'm going to discuss one of my favorite things…movies that I like. A summer movie this time, a beautiful tale of the naivety, innocence, and sad yearnings that we all feel as horny, bored, hormonally charged teenagers. In fact Superbad brought up so many familiar emotions in me I felt like the damn thing was written for me, and in a way it was.
What's surprising however is how well the film, which stars two unknown actors has appealed to other psychographics (thank you Mrs. Benson) and age groups. Even the most optimistic experts couldn't have predicted Superbad's phenomenal $68.6 million box office run in it's first 10 days.
The films limited premise (two high school buddies try to get drunk and laid one night) is what makes this film so great. By telling a story in such a small scope the details of the night jump out and the film's creators Seth Rogen and Judd Apathow (40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up) manage to convey those little things in a seamless way that makes the story breathe. Details like firing a policeman's gun, dancing with an older girl on her period, and getting hit by two cars helped remind me of the almost magical sense of possibility that a weekend night and the pursuit of a girl can bring.
Everyone can remember how it was as a young virgin with nothing to lose and few responsibilities. The world was your oyster. I remember it was like trying to explore a dangerous new frontier, where uncertainty ran high and awkwardness was dealt out in generous doses.
Another thing I noticed about Superbad was its authenticity. The leads actually looked like they were self-conscious high schoolers and not actors in their late 20s (like the stars of most high school movies).
The co-dependent relationship depicted in Superbad between the two main characters was extremely reminiscent of the friendship I had in high school with my best friend Brandon. When you're in high school the quest to lose your virginity is a team effort, and one thing to remember is that the moral support that is afforded by your best friend is extremely important.
I actually saw the film two times…once in my home town of Overland Park, KS where the crowd was primarily made up of older people in their forties, and then at Southwind 12 in Lawrence, where the crowd was made up primarily of college-age students. One thing I noticed was how well both audiences responded, but how applause and laughter happened at different times. For the older crowd people seemed to respond more to the small nuances that depicted the naivity of the two characters and their quest to lose their remaining innocence, and with the younger generation the audience seemed to laugh more at the awkward and/or gross out situations (of which there are plenty in the film).
Bottom Line: No matter where you're coming from or where you're at in your life you gotta see this one.