Piled Higher and Deeper

Just saw the premier at LSU tonight. I must say this movie reaches so many PhD students' heart, as it describes the exact problems that an average PhD student is going through somehow on a daily basis. Many of the lines borrowed from phdcomics.com are blended perfectly into the movie, making it an instant classic. If this movie was made by armature students, then true kudos to all people involved! Sadly this movie will never become popular in the main stream, since the grad students community is so under- presented that they are probably the only group of people who'll understand this movie. We were supposed to be the smartest people coming out of high schools and colleges, how then did we end up here? Puzzling.

I was never a grad student, and I love it. OK, I was pretty much raised inside a college (both parents are professors), and I worked at an university, so life as depicted on this movie is something I'm familiar with.

That being said, I was pretty impressed by the overall production quality of this movie. It is an indie movie with amateur actors, and it is still better than most Direct-to-TV movies you will find. The fact that most actors are actually grad students gives them a glint in the eye, and you can sense they are relating to those situations.

If you ever been to an university, or any place that mixes research and teaching, this is a movie you just must see.

Although the story line was based on the life of grad students, but surely you are not gonna feeling lost, if you are not a grad student! Majority, approximately 42%, of the students left grad school without having a degree. It sounds really weird as the most academically sound students go for higher education and found their place in grad school. The thing that strikes me most as all the grad students come up with a dream that they are going to change the world with their ground breaking research and their name will be on the front wall of history for their contributions to mankind. But the system of graduate school let them forget that they are missing the "key". If education is the "key" to "success", then where's that "key". It's nothing but the self- enthusiasm for your research topic. At the end of the film, two major characters, Winston & Cecilia, found that if you are not change yourself outside the "norm" of your system, how will you change the whole world one day? Otherwise, you can't change the next person of you! Watch this film for self realization & try to believe that "Life is Good" after all those actions and deeds, whatever or however we like it or not!

This is enjoyable for an audience a lot larger than just students. I have read the web comics for many years and think they have a universal appeal. This film is equally charming.

OK the film didn't really surprise me in some ways since I already knew all the jokes from the comics...but the production was far more professional and polished than I expected. The actors are all good, only one I thought could be casted better is Cecilia, not that she's bad but the actress looks and acts too much like a happy-go-lucky surfer girl, not as nerdy as the Cecilia from the comic books.

Tajel is a great choice as is Mike Slackenerny and Winston (the nameless student). Would love to see this become a TV show. Or at least see more of these 3 talented actors!

The film could be longer but does in a nutshell tell it all (life procrastinates in grad school) and it doesn't shove it's puns in your face...