The Beautiful Ordinary

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.

Remember the Daze is an authentic look at high school students on the brink of graduation. It reveals the trepidations and excitement that students feel at this very important juncture in their life. The middle class life style will connect to a large segment of the population, but some will see it as how the "rich" live, especially because they all seem to be driving cars. However, the class distinctions are minor in the film much as they were in "American Graffiti." One of the biggest differences in "Graffiti" was that the most daring thing a kid could do then was to get an adult to buy whiskey for him in a liquor store. Some parents may be shocked and horrified to see the promiscuous use of mind altering drugs. On the other hand, it might be healthy for them to get an authentic look at what's going on.

I have to say, that when i started watching it, I was expecting a typical teenager film with a few laughs and meaningless ideas. However, i was completely surprised to find myself with a great cast with a lot of young upcoming actors and some new faces which i found were also good. The fact that this film is not centered only on one person's life and stories, but on a group of teenagers who are on the brink of becoming adults, is enthralling. It shows us how different groups, races and sexuality are not important in 1999, where drugs and alcohol are a big factor in teenager lives. Furthermore, i feel that, being a teenager myself, i can relate to the insecurities these teenagers feel and at the same time have a laugh at the film as it is kept pretty real. There really are some funny parts! This film takes in a lot of ideas and thoughts which can be reflected on. It is not just another teenager film. It is well written and well worth watching.

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 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.