Origin of the Species

Origin of the species is a wonderful, funny relationship movie. It is one of Amanda Peet's first film. If you are a fan, this is a must see. The dialogue (an early work for author Robert Ackerman) is witty, compelling, and original. Snuggle up with your sweetie, grab some popcorn, and enjoy!!! I particularly enjoyed the Darwinian themes that are interwoven with the development of the relationship themes. The movie is well cast. The actors clearly develop a camaraderie and personal chemistry that enhances the plot.The setting is absolutely beautiful. This movie is a feast for the senses as well as the mind. I absolutely loved this movie. It is one of my all-time favorites.

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"

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.

I beg to differ on the 'praises' that were given towards this movie. Right away "Paul" got on my nerves with his constant talk about Darwin and evolution of species (while Yes I do realize that was to be mentioned give the title but it was taken to the extreme) While there were some notable scenes I feel that this movie was too 'all over' Talk of Banoboes left me saying "Huh" I found myself left with many unanswered questions at the end of the movie, and rather annoyed that certain issues weren't addressed that were made out to be a significant part of the plot. I would not recommend this film. If you want to see Amanda Peet 'shine' stick with A Lot Like Love...now there's a movie to be seen!

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.