Sack-3

I love when movies don't pull punches. If the movie's about an out of control party, it better have: booze, drugs, cussing, sex, and lots of irresponsible behavior. This movie cashes its checks. The plot is similar to "Superbad" but it has a distinctly "Hangover" feel. The movie is shot entirely as if through a series of hand-held cameras, which I felt effectively added to the chaos, but beware if Blair Witch made you dizzy. My concern, however, is that this movie will mostly be appreciated by guys. Here's what passes for female character development: there are only two women characters in the movie (1)the gorgeous "friend" and (2) the gorgeous "conquest". I also suspect more mature viewers will have trouble not wondering about the insurance consequences of this party, but I personally had no trouble deciding to worry about that tomorrow along with the rest of the cast.

I admit that I'm a fan of school-age romantic comedies. I enjoyed this movie because a lot of the scenes rang true to my experiences at that age (except for the warehouse scenes -- hello creepy). I can remember putting my hand next to a girl's hand -- almost touching -- just to see if she'd go the last half inch. I can remember trying to get a do-over with a girl that I'd let slip away during high school. I can remember walking the streets of my town hoping to run into a pretty girl that I'd seen. I can remember picking the wrong girl because society told me she was cooler. And I can remember trying to catch lightening in a bottle on the last weekend before school starts. For some reason, this movie has slid entirely under the radar, but it deserves attention.

The reviews spin this movie as a Bushies keeping the little man down documentary. It isn't. The movie never editorializes the way Michael Moore movies do. Heck, it didn't even have to be about politics at all as much as it attempts to explain why we are constantly reading how miserable the rich and famous are...

The movie is about a little guy that wanted to play with the big kids. Unfortunately, he got what he wanted. After writing several small time bios of people like Star Trek's Captain Picard, James Hatfield decides to hit the big time by writing a bio of then Governor George W. Bush. It worked -- for four days. The movie is about how an average, everyday guy reacts when the microscope of fame is turned back on him. Will he rise to the occasion and become a hero or be beaten down like a dog? Better yet, how would you react if all of your secrets were bared for all to see and judge? That's the question this movie explored for me.