This Is the Year

A true nod to the bodacious 80's movies we all learned to love, THIS IS THE YEAR brings an often told story to life on screen with humor, expertly directed shots by director David Henrie (Wizards of Waverly Place) and a cast of standout talent. (Not to mention somewhat of a WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE reunion with Selena Gomez producing, Gregg Sulkin as Kale and Jeff Garlin as Mr. Elmer.)

Lorenzo James Henrie (Fear the Walking Dead) plays Josh with earnest puppy-dog eyed optimism. Molly (Vanessa Marano - Gilmore Girls) is the true wing man...erm...wing woman to Josh's antics.

Marano is quite possibly the most captivating in the film, drawing you into every scene she graces. Her comedic timing allows her to volley back and forth with the entire cast, including the hilarious BroadwayWorld Award Winner Josh Rhett Noble (Law & Order: SVU, TIME: The Kalief Browder Story) seen in a comedic cameo as grumpy "patron" Jared. (Whom we assume must just live at the theater.)

The rest of the cast does a stellar job teetering between the over-the-top tubular antics you'd expect in 80's classics but grounding the scenes with truth. Alyssa Jirrels (The Good Doctor, Girl Meets World) is especially good at this as Zoey, bringing an affable and endearing portrayal to what would usually be the one dimensional "hot girl". Same goes for Jake Short (A. N. T. Farm) who brings his character of Mikey to life with ease.

It may be a love tale as old as time, but if you find yourself "jonesing" for a great classic escape, THIS IS THE YEAR has got it. TOTALLY!

Wasn't sure what to fully expect, but I actually really enjoyed this movie. Was looking for something fun and age appropriate for teens without being too agressive. Great pick for my kids and they loved it. I caught this the first time around on their initial launch. Really fun, enjoyable ride. Thought the acting was great, found myself rooting along for the characters. I watched this as a mom with younger kids and highly suggest for those with preteens and teens looking for fun clean content.

Extremely cliche film with awful writing. Not to mention boring. I think imdb said David Henrie wrote it. He tries really hard to stay relevant by mentioning Selena Gomez in everything he does, whereas she is killing it in everything and doesn't need to live in the past. It seems like he just got a bunch of TikTok kids to promote it because no one would ever see or recommend it otherwise.

I just streamed this and have all the nostalgic feels! Lorenzo Henrie does a banging job playing Josh. And Vanessa Marano (one of my faves) steals every scene she is in as Molly. I'd pay to see an entire spin off with her just screaming at Jared (Josh Rhett Noble) in the theater. What a fun escape!

Personally, I don't see this becoming a cult classic. The film started off so fast paced I didn't think anything would peak my interest. I soon realized that the movie was appropriate and genuine, and I was so comfortable getting to know these characters.

I did like the premise of this high school senior living his life like a movie, and learning hard lessons on this cross-country road trip while he professed love to his best friend's cousin. I liked the homage to 1980s John Hughes classic movies as well. Lorenzo James Henrie and Vanessa Marano are so likable, attractive, and fun together- I really enjoyed their chemistry.

Some sections like the music/dance scenes and the conflict between Zoey and Kaleb didn't work for me. Also Jeff Garlin as the English teacher was an odd casting choice- he's more humorous on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Those were minuscule observations that didn't affect my rating.

It's a medium grade film, but with enough heart for me to give a recommendation for families.