I saw this movie when I was 16 and fell in love. I was especially taken with Portmans performance. I thought it was fantastic. Now, years and years later, I'm watchin it as an adult and loving it just as much, even more. Ha, one thing that made me laugh though....Matt Dillon. That guy plays the same part in every movie. Not a fan.
shareThis is one of my favorites too. Matt Dillon to me is in the same class as Marky Mark Wahlberg, and Matt's younger brother as well. The guy is basically the same character in various forms throughout the years.
The reason this movie ages well is because it isn't married to a time and place like so many other "youth" movies that try to capture the generational temperament. Even if the director chose for this movie to place in 1974 with all of the correct props and settings it would still hold up with its characters and storyline.
I also like watching it again from time to time because it has a sad grace about it that captures the pain of getting older in your own life. It also doesn't preach or try to make you feel sorry for any of the characters, which I think too many directors fall into when making movies like this.
There's been talk on this forum about making a sequel, but when I think more about that I hope they don't, because it would steal away the bittersweet reality this film captures. The truth is that most of us move on from our previous lives and no longer engage with our childhood friends no matter how much we like to think we do, or how many "old friends" we search and add on our Facebook page.
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Naughty-God, I agree with everything you said. What makes this film so great for me is that I know many people from my past that are exactly like these fictional characters. I bet you everyone knows the Matt Dillion character from high school, the guy who was cool but now works some crap job and if you ever sat down with him for a beer all his stories would start and end with high school or the past, if you ask him about present day or the future he would just look at you with a blank look on his face. This film has great screenplay. A sequel would never work, the main theme of the film is a bunch of guys stuck in a small town, working dead end jobs, and living in the past with zero chance for happiness in the future. You just know that the piano player is going to grow and probably not want too revisit. If people really thought how pathetic and lost in the past these characters are now, just wait for the 25 year reunion. A sequel would really be depressing. I could just see it now, all the characters are bald, fat, out of shape, working dead end jobs and bitching and moaning about their health going south as well has their hairlines. A sequel with a 50 year old Matt Dillion trying too pick up a 20 year old at his friends pub would be pathetic. A 50 year old paul, with super model pictures all over his wall, still plowing snow, know thanks.
The thing you said about moving on from childhood friends and Facebook is reality. I just meet a guy that was a childhood friend, hadn't seen him in about 15 years, hate this *beep* with a passion, he's one of those losers that even those he's successfull he has zero class, asked for my email and phone number but the reality is he had know intentions of ever contacting me, I don't understand why people need to go throw that crap when there never going too call you? He asked me if I keep in touch with anyone from the childhood, I said no, he then mentions how great facebook is for reconnecting, so I go on facebook and recognize some old names, but the the faces look completely different, I just don't see the point in reconnecting with childhood friends, if I really liked you I would've never lost touch with you too begin with. What's really pathetic about facebook is all the losers that claim too have 500+ friends lol.
This movie definitely holds up well. This movie means more to me now since I have moved into Willie's age range. The subject matter is timeless. I thought I would have everything figured out by 30, but I realize like Willie that I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. It's a beautiful movie with a great cast.
I have it rated right up there with my favorites that include Citizen Kane, Casablanca, and many other great classics. It sticks out like a sore thumb but I don't mind. It's my movie along with A Christmas Story.
It has held up VERY well. I didn't watch it when I was 16 (in 96) but I did catch it when I was around 20/21 on a trip back to my small home town, in the winter, with all my old friends that were back for the holidays too and we caught it on TV before hitting the local watering hole for the evenings festivities. So as you can imagine, it hit all of us hard.
While I doubt any of them watch it anymore (come to think of it, I dont hang out with any of them anymore...lol) I still catch it at least once every 1 or 2 years.
Happy 30's friends :)
I literally had to check if the username was me posting from the past!
I can't remember when I first saw this but I fell in love with Portman in this film. I'm pretty sure it was around last year of high school first year of uni so 17 or 18. I'm now 29 and still fell in love with the whole movie.
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Bauer vs. Bourne, that is the question.