Origin of the Species

This is a coming-of-age story for recent generations (baby boomers forward), for whom a substantial amount of maturing often takes place post-college. While dealing with various personal decisions, six friends try to figure out exactly how one grows up without growing old. The setting, a house in the verdant and upscale NYC suburbs, is made to look positively Edenic--surely, a conscious choice on the part of the filmmakers, though not one that beats us over the head.

Lest "Origin of the Species" sound fraught with heavyset (to borrow from Woody Allen), all this is presented with a remarkably light touch, a cast of engaging characters, and plenty of humor. Since making the film, several of the actors have gone on to greater success, and their performances here show why.

Filmed in and around a Westchester County summer house, this is the annual re-union of 6 friends in their late 20's. Based on screenwriter Weston Ackerman's own play, the film adaptation directed by Andres Heinz pads out the dialogue with those generic toneless dirges on the soundtrack, credited to Joel Goodman, that pass for contemporary "reflective" pop music. Maybe on stage this unpunctuated talk had some acumulative sense, but here it only demonstrates how selfish and shallow these people are. Being 20somethings, we get de rigueur drug and alcohol abuse, swearing, sex, skinny dipping, secret crushes and jealousies. The title is explained by the idea that the secret of Darwin's theory of evolution is sex, since survival of the fittest requires reproduction. It's easy to see how this relates to one person being pregnant but no easy to another who has testicular cancer. Heinz adds some sex fantasies, a gothic baby nightmare, and one intercut between an infidelity and the deceived partner cooking. Ackerman only produces one laugh line in "That was the beer talking". None of the 6 leads display any great charisma or acting, though I was grateful we were spared the site of Jonathan LaPlagia's over-gymed body.

Origin is about six very real people in their late twenties who are spinning their wheels and not really getting anywhere in their lives. I felt like I knew them --like they all could have been friends. This is a film for anyone who has ever felt too young--or too old--or both. And I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It also really makes you feel the joy of summertime--and of downtime--and since it's the middle of a year at college in my real life, I appreciated that too. Origin is the kind of film that leaves you thinking about who your friends are, and how they became your friends, and whether you'll be able to--and want to--stay close forever.

I saw this a few years ago and it has STAYED with me. Not only is the cinematography excellent, but Amanda Peet shines. So does the entire ensemble. You watch this movie, rapt, riveted, and laughing about bonobos' sex lives, and then suddenly you feel sobered and you're soul searching and wondering whether you, like these characters, can truly account for each passing birthday. It's really a movie about growing up, like it or not, and how hard that can be. That's one reason why I loved the scene, at the beginning, of children jumping into a beautiful lake. At the end it's the adults who plunge in. And I think the filmmakers are trying to say that we all have a childlike spirit within us that keeps us young but also sometimes keeps us from growing up. I totally recommend this film.

like many people, i'm a huge Amanda Peet fan so i ordered this DVD from Amazon...what a great little film!

it's a fresh, funny movie about young people getting together for a long weekend full of relationships, romance and skinny dipping...if you liked your parent's VHS copy of The Big Chill, you'll love it!

Amanda Peet is great...as is Elon Gold, who is in the new Pamela Anderson sitcom "Stacked" and the girl from "Yes, Dear" is her usual adorable self

this movie is such a refreshing find, i can't believe more video stores aren't stocking it...but maybe it's just my local Blockbuster that's behind the times

anyway, if you like comedy, great writing, great acting and the bushy-browed beauty known as Amanda Peet, you will love "Origin of the Species"