The Beautiful Ordinary

"Remember the Daze" is a 2007 direct-to-DVD release whose main claim to fame is an ensemble of the hottest young actresses ever assembled (at least in recent memory). For viewers looking for that sort of thing it starts with then unknowns Leighton Meester and Amber Heard; and doesn't really go downhill much from there with Marnette Patterson, etc.

This is one of those 24-hour important transitional day teen movies, which are produced every few years and key in on a day that marks the passing from one stage of life to another. In this case it is 1999 high school graduation party night (in North Carolina) as the seniors prepare to move on to life after high school. Think "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998), "Dazed and Confused" (1993), and "American Graffiti" (1973). Throw in some elements and cast members from "Sleepover" (2004) along with the lyrical qualities of "Empire Records" (1995) and maybe even a little of "Sixteen Candles" (1984).

The only thing really unique about "Remember the Daze" is that Jess Manafort (the writer and director) is a relatively young woman. So the point-of-view is more female oriented; and the parts of the female characters are better written and much more believable that those of the males. Intuitively you would think that this would give the film a box office advantage over its predecessors. The many hot babes and some comedy, drug use, and misbehaving should attract a teen boy target audience and the more cerebral and sensitive dialogue should connect with girls of almost any demographic.

Unfortunately the wheels mostly fall off and the film fails to make the sentimental connection Manafort was hoping to achieve. It probably has something to do with too many stories being told, more than in the other films mentioned, and passing some vague tipping point where there are so many that the audience struggles to tap into any one particular character for point-of-view and strong identification purposes.

Also a problem was too much emphasis on the two weakest stories in the bunch; Heard's struggle to break up with her terminally depressed boyfriend (together they sap the energy from every scene in which they appear) and Patterson's struggle to break up with her terminally depressing boyfriend (who is physically and emotionally interchangeable with the assorted members of his moronic but staggeringly unfunny homeboy pack). Mostly you just end up feeling embarrassed for the poor folks tasked with playing such poorly written parts.

The film has some entertaining moments. Meester and Katrina Begin make the most of their limited screen time, and manage to inject a lot of badly needed comic relief. They represent a fusion of the Ron Howard - Richard Dreyfuss - Cindy Williams characters, struggling to sort out an upcoming geographical separation.

Stella Maeve ("Lightly" - I love that character name) and John Robinson ("Bailey) have a sweet and believable romance that is nicely sold by the way the two actors gently tease their roles. Each year in high school I recall romances where an incoming freshman girl pulled an older but less mature upperclassman out of his shell, but for some reason the dynamic has been neglected in films.

Even with the missteps already noted, Patterson is excellent in what turns out to be the biggest part in the production (after editing but probably not in the original script as she gets no billing on the main promotional material). This is essentially Jennifer Love Hewitt"s "Can't Hardly Wait" character, this time mostly played for laughs but not aggressively enough written so that the absurdist elements are not as effective as they could have been.

A distanced and largely silent guy (Charles Chen) with a still camera bookends the film; the quintessential class historian who participated in nothing but is destined to one day serve as the class' collective memory. They go out on an elaborate crane shot that goes up and into a second-story window to pan across a montage of his just developed photos. He also serves the Wolfman Jack role, with his constant presence a lyrical commentary and a way to bring unity to the disparate story elements.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I'm not trying to delude myself about this movie being some spectacular film about anything but I do have to thrown in my two cents. First and foremost, seeing as a lot of the people who have reviewed this either graduated quite a bit before or after (myself included) this movie was supposed to take place, I feel it's necessary to point out that it only takes about two years for trends and music and pretty much everything that's important to us in high school to completely change.

Now, as for this movie in particular, "let's get stoned..." was not NEAR as rampant as I have read nor was it the main focus of A LOT of the characters. Yes the casting was a bit old to be believable, the actors still did a good job of playing their characters. As for the realism of the movie, when I was in high school partying was all I was worried about. I blew off all of my classes and still passed with honors while being baked damn near everyday. This movie isn't near as bad as it's been made out to be nor is it any kinda of revelation to life for teenagers. It's simply a movie about some kids who just graduated and want to kick back. No more no less, and it does a good job of portraying them.

Remember, as fast as things come, they leave, and that applies to high school as well. Don't nuke it people.

I'm probably in the minority for saying this, but this movie sucks. The movie jumps from character to character and it gets confusing after a while. The cheerleader character seemed enjoyable in the beginning, but I started to hate her after she was so whiny about wanting to get wasted. The only reason I saw this movie is because Amber Heard is in it, but not even she could save this movie. Watching Never Back Down (another Amber Heard movie) will erase the torture I went through with watching this movie. This movie makes Can't Hardly Wait look like Avatar and I hate Can't Hardly Wait. I am baffled at all the positive reviews this movie has gotten. Don't let the skewed numbers fool you. Pass on this or you'll be in a "daze" after seeing this horrible movie!

How's this for a plot line? "A glimpse into the teenage wasteland of suburbia that takes place over 24-hours on the last day of school". Sounds like "Dazed and Confused", right? "Remember the Daze" feels like a film made by people who did nothing in High school but watch "Dazed and Confused". I'm sure that not all the similarities between the movies were intentional. Let's be honest though, this film is like a poor man's "Dazed and Confused", crossed with "American Pie". I'll start off with a little background information.

I myself am just a smidge younger than the Dim Wits portrayed in the film. Class of 2004 (Ugh). I can tell you, without ANY hesitation, this is about as accurate a portrayal of High school life in 99' than "Saved by the Bell" is. This generation was not nearly as hip-to-drugs as the filmmaker wants to believe. EVERY high schooler in this flick is carrying at all times. Please. Not that my generation is any better. You couldn't do a "Dazed and Confused" in the 2000s. Every kid is too busy on Myspace and whatnot to even get out of their chairs. Most high school seniors today couldn't roll a joint if their life depended on it.

So, right off the bat, "Remember the Daze" is plagued with a sense of unauthentic narrative. Making things worse are the fact that every character is a stereotype (multiplied by about 100). Not one realistic teen in the bunch. Not that it matters, the only dialogue any of them get is along the lines of "Let's get wasted", or "Who's got some pot". I kid you not; those lines are spoken once every 30 seconds. The cast of young actors are all apt, with a couple doing some above average work. Unfortunately, the fact that they all play whiney degenerates doesn't help. Marnette Patterson, the young woman that plays Stacy, gives by far the most layered and lively performance.

This film is far from terrible though. Apart from being fake and overly derivative of a certain other teen/drug film, it does have some finer points. The whole thing moves along pretty well, with some interesting scenarios and occasional humor. The cinematographer also seems to know what he's doing, and the film looks a lot more polished than one would expect. While the film definitely features a bit of phony sentimentality and lame profoundness, it never really demands much from the viewer and provides a consistently pleasant atmosphere.

Before I forget, two last thoughts. Was it just me or was the inclusion of the "Photographer kid" beyond pretentious. Ouch. They could have easily cut him out and saved a lot of embarrassment. Although I suppose that lost shot of the photos was suitable. And the title, "Remember the Daze". That's just corny and in no way fits with the tone of the film. They should have just called it "Remember Dazed and Confused", because anyone who watches this will find themselves gawking over the similarities. If you're a fan of the former though, this should be worth a free rental if you've got a coupon lying around. Or better yet, pick up "Can't Hardly Wait", which is leagues more realistic and enjoyable than this.

I graduated in 1998 and high school was nothing like this. This movie is highly dramatized and different groups of people would never party together. Unfunny, boring, slow, and has way too many Dazed and Confused vibes.