Wirey Spindell

I was surprised to read the comments of the person who so disliked this film. It really is quite funny. There are definitely a few laugh out lines that my boyfriend and I quote to each other. Some of the situations might be unsettling (bisexuality, drugs, a particularly strange child's view of sexuality) but believable at the same time. It's about communication and miscommunication between men and women.

... as a child growing up in the flatlands, I went through a lot of the same things the main character in the movie went through. Oversexual elementary school friends, parents who should never have had children in the first place, getting beat up in school, doing tons of drugs as a release (and to gain popularity)... that is what childhood is like. It was very poignant for me. I think a lot of people on this board who gave this movie negative reviews would have you think that this movie was pure fiction. That the things you saw in this movie could never happen. Kids cursing. Oh my goodness. 10 year olds drinking in front of their parents. Couldn't happen, right? My mom used to *buy* my smokes for me when I was a kid. Anything to keep her son from being belligerent. Anyway, I'm way off topic. I enjoyed the movie very much and like its narrative style. I found the movie very real and believable. It's definitely worth a peek. A little self-indulgent, but give it 20 minutes and you won't tune away.

I, as many IMDB patrons seem to have, stumbled upon this little film when it appeared on the Canadian "Showcase Network". I was, as many of you, also sucked in and watched the entire film. I was hooked, at first, by the literate dialogue and wry sense of humour that the film is rich with. I was coasting along comfortably on a sort of "Kevin Smith meets Killer Films" wave until half way through when the movie really buckled down and explored it's themes in more detail... with a decidedly darker and more poignant edge. Far from being taken out of the experience, I was brought further in. This is not the best film of it's kind and will certainly not have universal appeal... so I do understand some of the more negative reactions to it. But I bought in... and enjoyed it immensely. The "flash back" type movement in the chronology was effective, the characters were well-realized and the issues raised were human, accessible (to my experience anyway) and interesting. I was quite impressed with the film's ability to remain sweet, funny and entertaining while not shying away from controversial subject matter and raw emotional language, dynamics and situations. This movie is a great antidote to a lot of the schlock that has permeated the witty/clever romantic genre. A kind of male Brigitte Jones for the literate sect. Take 2 hours out of your busy schedule and jump into Wirey's world... or you could go rent "You've Got Mail", 'cause if that appeals to you, you won't like this anyway! Those of us who did like it will be alright without you on our side...

This is supposed to be the story of the life of a man named Wirey Spindell from age 8 through to 36 told in narrative by the character at each age point in his life. So for example, when he's eight, it's the eight year old's voice that is doing the narration; when he's in junior high, it's that one doing the narration, etc. That's about the only interesting thing about this movie. It looks like each actor playing Wirey is a separate character. Not only do they not look alike, their life experiences don't seem to match up.

Avoid this movie like a bad cold.

An example of genius filmaking. The epic story of three major stages of life for a young boy told with eloquence and raw fearlessness. Rarely does a film come along that causes me to out loud say during most of the viewing, "this is a really good film...." again and again. That is exactly what happened when I watched this film. I really do not understand how anyone could not like it. I found myself at moments crying and laughing at the very same moment, unable to control how I felt about the scene. The acting is outstanding. Eric Mabius- why is he not all over movie screens? He was really extraordinary. His seemingly effortless attempt on the screen impacted me in deep visceral ways. I thank him. In my opinion, Eric Schaeffer is one of the best filmakers around, and I hope he continues to rise to the challenges that he faces while trying to give us art in the face of ferocious commercial filmaking.