The Night Before

I caught this movie on a pay channel over 10 years ago. It begins with a very young Keanu Reeves waking up in an alleyway after a night of heavy drinking. He is wearing a dirty prom tuxedo with no memory of what he did with his prom date. The film unfolds in a series of clue searching and memory flashbacks in which Reeves slowly pieces together exactly what happened.

To my pleasant surprise, I found myself totally engrossed in the film within the first 5 minutes! At the time, I had no idea who Keanu Reeves was, so my interest in the movie was totally unbiased by his fame.

I truly enjoyed this movie for just what it was...a fun movie to watch. Nothing too deep or meaningful here.

I especially enjoyed the cameo by George Clinton.

My fondest memory of this film is of watching Reeves and Laughlin dance to George Clinton's "Baby Boy." Reeves, apparently, really is a ballroom dancer, and he is elegance itself in this sequence--right up to the moment when he slips on a wet spot on the floor and falls into a table. The rest of the film is a pleasant diversion, without giving the brainpan much of a workout. It builds humorously enough on its premise--that a cheerleader can learn to love a nerd--then cruises to its inevitable conclusion. Of course, it helps when the nerd is as handsome as Keanu Reeves. Look for Tiny Lister in a small role as the bartender who slips Reeves a mickey. This one has a great soundtrack, by the way, and it demonstrates once again that Reeves is underused as a romantic lead.

I can't possibly imagine someone thinking of Keanu Reeves as a nerd, but that's what he is in "The Night Before." The school queen, Lori Loughlin, has to go to the prom with Keanu's Winston because she made a bet with friends and lost. The chain of events that happens is wacky and hilarious, and it shows Keanu at his sweetest.

I love this movie. It's funny and romantic. Keanu Reeves is quite charming as Winston. Lori Loughlin is adorable and a nice match for Keanu. The only problem I see with the movie is that Keanu is just too cute and charming to be believable as a "punishment date" for Lori's losing a bet.

A fairly good film with no real flaws. The film explores the misadventures of a prom couple winding up on the wrong side of the tracks. Think "Sixteen Candles" meets "After Hours" but sanitized for mainstream viewing. White slavery, drugs, grand theft, assault and armed robbery... it's all here, but presented in a way that keeps the spirit of those topics alive without being vulgar.

A good watch, but if you're viewing it expecting explicit scenes and jokes, then you're in for a letdown. A mildly funny film that takes a look at L.A.'s underworld through perspective of a teenage couple.

There's nothing deep about this film, but it's likable all the same, as most good hearted comedies are. There're a couple of tangentially suggestive scenes, but nothing that would prove offensive to the mainstream viewer. The comedy is light here and there, and pretty smart; it's not spoon fed to the audience.

A definite thumbs up for some light viewing.