The Do List - L'estate prima del college

Having the opportunity to attend an early screening of the To-Do List, I have come out with two minds on the movie. On the one hand, the To Do List has many qualities that could make it into a classic coming of age movie: an overachieving protagonist with a yearning to fill her sudden sexual deficiency before college; the supportive best friends who edge her on, the timid boy who attempts to cross over from being just a friend to being something more, etc. On the other hand though, is the feeling that this doesn't necessarily leave any memorable impression on the table with these elements put together. One thing I can say about this movie is that it has an exceptional flow.

Set in the year 1993, The To Do List centres on Brandy Clark (Aubrey Plaza), a model student with the grades, trophies, attendance and valedictorian badge to show for it. Although not clearly stated, it is implied that her lifestyle is that of a strict Mormon, with no exposure to the more vicarious side of teenage life. That is until, her best friends; Fiona (Alia Shawkat) and Wendy (Sarah Steele) take her to a graduation party where she glimpses upon hunky college student Rusty Waters (Scott Porter) in his long haired, 90's style glory. A brief night on the wild side left unfinished sets in motion an adventure seeking the thrills of sexual experience; thus, Brandy Clark uses her trusty To-Do List to craft a step by step action guide to ultimately lose her virginity.

What makes The To Do List flow so well is the structure of the storytelling. Maggie Carey's decision to keep the teen angst drama to a minimum crafts a movie that flows like the To-Do List Brandy Clark is using; one scene to the next in an almost checklist-like fashion, creating a focused consistency in the movie's pace. Add onto that a plethora of 90's references and the audience can expect an enjoyable sequence of laughter throughout the movie.

The To Do List has a flair of Superbad to it, with help from Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Bill Hader cast as supporting roles. That being said, this movie goes much farther in the sexual department. Brandy Clark's overachieving status as a perfectionist makes her romps just another thing to accomplish, as if handing in a book report. Aubrey Plaza, who I found out shares my birthday, does a stellar job of portraying my age group as an 18 year old, nerdy virgin. Even at 29, her petite features make her a great choice for this role.

Even though the pacing was a high point, some audience members may find themselves struggling to find a memorable impression within Brandy Clark's adventure from nerdy girl to sexually experienced woman. That being said, you'll probably find yourself enjoying The To Do List, and for those who grew up in the 90's, it'll be a worthwhile trip down memory lane.

Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Rated: R Run Time: 1 hr 50 mins

The To Do List had an interesting concept and a great cast, but unfortunately, it doesn't fully deliver on its potential. The film attempts to offer a fresh, raunchy take on the coming-of-age genre, but the humor is hit-or-miss, and the story sometimes feels more awkward than genuinely funny. Aubrey Plaza does her best with the material, bringing her signature dry wit, but even her performance can't fully save the movie.

While it does have a few fun moments and a nostalgic '90s vibe, the film often relies on crude humor that doesn't always land. The supporting cast, including Bill Hader and Rachel Bilson, adds some energy, but the script feels uneven, making it hard to stay fully engaged. Overall, The To Do List is a watchable but forgettable comedy that could have been much better with sharper writing and more refined execution.

I think the reason so many people disliked this flick was because they went in with the wrong expectations. You hear about a teen sex comedy staring women and immediately people assume something more sophisticated and classy would be the by product.

This is not that movie.

This film is both dry and ludicrous, crass and hilarious.

Aubrey Plaza's one note characters fit this movie well.

What I liked most about the flick was that it finally gave a voice to the sexually confused teenage GIRL population. The movie was written and directed by a woman, and it's pretty clear when you're watching.

TL;DR:

It's not an Oscar winner, but it's funny. It's a very progressive movie in the sense that it reverses the normal teen comedy gender stereotypes and gives the audience an unfiltered and unashamed (however hyperbolic) look at female sexuality, insecurities and intricacies.

NOT FOR KIDS.

The To Do List was a pleasant surprise since I figured it would be a low budget teen flick...But,you might say it was a very funny female version of American Pie.

I'm also surprised at the modest rating on IMDb. The ensemble cast headed by Aubrey Plaza did a fine job in a fast moving, profanity laced raunch fest that still maintained a valid and interesting plot...a high school grad wanting to learn about what she had been sexually missing.

She was helped by Rachel Bilson, as sexy as ever without her goody goody TV doctor persona and SNL's Bill Hader.Quite honestly it's hard not to like this film despite its grossness in parts.

It would be natural to have a welcome sequel with Plaza'a character as a college girl.

After watching "Bridesmaids" earlier this year, I was actually quite surprised to see a film that I usually would have flagged as a "chick flick" make me laugh and leave the theatre thinking I just watched an overall quality comedy. I always found that Hollywood liked keeping this stereotypical division between these "raunchy guy comedies" and "corny chick flicks".

The one point I'm trying to make here is that, usually, raunchy comedies feature male characters as the leads, and the female characters usually either serve as the opposing party to typical stories of bromance, or as the "background bimbos". But, after a while, as in any movie sub-genre or trend, clichés keep coming back again and again, the same faces play the same roles in movies that are basically carbon copies of one another, and, quite simply, it gets a tad old and the competent releases among that sub-genre become a rarity.

But what if these old clichés could be completely rejuvenated if the mold was turned upside down, and female characters became the leads? Well, trust me, this film is no corny romantic comedy, the clichés one would expect to see in a chick flick are absolutely nowhere to be found. Think of a cross between "American Pie" and "Superbad", with even dirtier dialogue, morals, and situations...with female characters as the leads.

The film starts with quite a crafty opening credits sequence, which quickly lets you know that you're being brought back to the early nineties (1993 to be exact). And, throughout the film, this nineties feeling is very well kept alive, with the sets, the costumes, and such. Good job on that.

One could argue that every character is super stereotyped. That is absolutely true. And that's probably the biggest trick that "The To Do List" is able to pull off : The situations through which the characters go embrace their stereotypical nature while constantly pushing both the limits of good taste/morals and of what you've previously seen in similar movies. "The To Do List" is not trying to reinvent the wheel. No. But it's definitely trying to push the limits in many regards. Where "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" got a bit sanctimonious at times, this film ends up stating that sex can just be a casual thing and should be enjoyed as exactly that. Where "Superbad" pulled its punches when it came to teenagers experimenting, "The To Do List" unleashed a flurry of hay makers.

And I'm not taking anything away from these two movies, I loved them both. All I am saying is, "The To Do List" qualifies amongst even the cruder comedies, and surpasses them several times in that department.

That's not the only trick it has up its sleeve though. Narrative structure is clever, with check-boxes appearing every time one of the "tasks" is accomplished. The dialogue is top-notch and constantly drew major laughter from the crowd. The cast is impressive, and features a couple of uproarious cameos.

"The To Do List" is quality entertainment that does deserve its heavy R rating. In the same vein as "American Pie", "Superbad", and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", this film definitely doesn't bring anything properly new, but it does innovate by reversing the mold and putting female characters as the leads. To think the result would be toned down because of that single detail would be foolish, and just like "Bridesmaids" did, "The To Do List" reminds us of that. To be quite honest, I found it kind of refreshing. Add competent direction, a solid cast, and neat dialogue, and you've got a good comedy that's definitely not for kids, but that both men and women will find hilarious.