Bart Got a Room

It's 2 months before prom and Danny Stein (Steven Kaplan) is running out of options. Even unpopular Bart Beeber got a date and a room. Danny is a nerd in charge of prom with his longtime friend Camille (Alia Shawkat). He doesn't want to ask Camille who he wants to be platonic with but everybody just expects it. He wants to ask hot sophomore cheerleader Alice (Ashley Benson) who he drives to school. His divorced parents Ernie (William H. Macy) and Beth (Cheryl Hines) are both out there dating.

This is more sad and pathetic than funny. Kaplan isn't charming enough to lead this and bring out the humor. Alia Shawkat is charming enough and provides some of the best scenes. There are some great comic actors but the jokes aren't hitting. The story isn't anything new or special. Nothing is truly funny but it's a passable amateur effort from writer/director Brian Hecker.

I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Bart Got a Room is a funny and clever film starring Steven Kaplan as Danny Stein, a senior in high school who isn't sure what to do about the Senior Prom. His best friend Camille who he's known for many years (Alia Shawkat) seems like the obvious choice, but after another friend mentions that everyone that's going to prom has gotten a hotel room for the big night, Danny realizes he needs someone other than his "best friend" to take back to a hotel room.

This film is very well made an well written. Kaplan is a natural actor, he does a wonderful job playing Danny, he's like a teenage Woody Allen, having trouble finding someone to go out on a date with and not knowing how to talk to women. And Cheryl Hines and William H Macy are also perfect as Danny's separated parents. Macy is a delight having many of the big laughs in the film, which I'm sure is increased by his hilarious hair. John Polito is great as well playing Cheryl's new love interest. And there's also a funny cameo near the end of the film.

Writer/Director Brian Hecker made a great teen comedy. The audience at the screening loved it, applauding many times throughout. Seek this one out, it's a very entertaining film that's sure to please. See it then spread the word.

Oh, and be sure to stay for the end credits.

Looking back at this film, there are quite a number of scenes that seem as if they, and the movie that they are in, should be superb. Actually watching the scenes, and watching the film as a whole however, the effect is rather lackluster. Objectively, I can't say that the movie is a bad one, and some people will probably love, it, but for many or most people, I suspect that the film will not live up to its potential. Its difficult to say exactly why, but I can nominate three potential reasons.

1.

Comparative lack of comedic follow-through. In many comedic scenes in film, you can see an embarrassing situation emerging a few seconds or minutes before the specific situation ends. Rather than playing each scene through from beginning to bitter end, 'Bart Got A Room" tends to lay out the scene, and clip off the last uncomfortable moments. This device does not render the scenes unfunny, and it could make the film a bit more subtle. "Bart Got A Room" is not the most exciting or unpredictable film however, and the closely trimmed scene endings make the movie more boring.

2.

A vast proportion of the world's humor comes from people and the world as a whole not living up to expectations. Much humor represents an idealistic implicit criticism of these failures and imperfections.

The creators of this film seem to embrace, rather than criticize imperfection however, particularly in the ending, and not so much by defiantly embracing an alternate standard of perfection, but by saying that "hey, settling for ______ is okay." Obviously the difference between different sorts of acceptance (of imperfection) are subtle, but but this film seems to be more "settle for it" than usual, and the implicit lack of idealism leads to less ideal-driven humorous criticism.

3.

This film has a very clear Florida setting and cultural identity, and ordinarily this would be a strict virtue, adding a bit of realism instead of pretending to a placeless universality. Unfortunately, the film is so subtle/dull overall, that the setting and specific characterization overwhelms the overall story and other elements to a degree. Most likely the filmmakers should have made the story and characters a bit more interesting, rather than make the background less interesting, but something should have been done.

I remember seeing a preview for this movie on The Movie Channel, I think that was the channel. Then about 2 days later I saw the movie for sale at Wal-mart. That night I actually watched it. I thought it was hilarious in so many ways. Yeah, some of the humor is kind of ridiculous but it's directed towards teens and young adults. In so many ways I can relate to this movie and so can other people i'm sure. I was very pleased with William H. Macy's performance. I also liked it because it had both actors we already know, and some that we have never seen before, or at least I haven't. All in all I think this film was very good and I hope that everyone gets a chance to see it.

Just tripped over this movie on cable without ever having heard anything about it before, and when I came across it, the direction and music reminded me so much of Barry Sonnenfeld's direction I thought it -had- to be something of his I had never seen before (and I'm a big Sonnenfeld fan, esp of titles like "Get Shorty" and "Big Trouble" - the unfortunately timed release which had to be delayed due to 9/11. But watch "Bart..." and then watch "Big Trouble" and you'll see the similarities in style).

"Bart..." had some thin plot lines here and there, but the overall production was crisp and mostly entertaining. The pace was mostly quick, although there were one or two places it seemed to stall; but overall the use of wide and interesting camera angles, quick cuts, and, again, the snappy music selections (which were not main stream) kept everything moving despite what you'd think of as a fairly shallow overall plot.

Another quirky but all-too-human Bill Macy performance juxtaposed against our star Steven Kaplan who plays the focus of the date-hunt. That was good casting. Jennifer Tilly has a little bit part which you're dying to see go somewhere - but when it doesn't, it reinforces the kind of loser-status-but-we-protect-our-own flavor of dad Ernie Stein (Bill Macy).

Production wise: better than most. Quirky, fun, not heavy, but has a nice message overall. Fun to see once or twice.

Director Brian Hecker as the new Sonnenfeld? We'll have to wait and see. Big shoes to fill.