THE SPECTACULAR NOW examines the lives of high school teens in a manner that doesn’t trivialize, sexualize or demean them. At times, the film may succeed in sentimentalizing high school and cannot quite decide precisely how its audience is meant to feel about its protagonist, Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), but in the end, the film resolves into uplifting story about aspiration, innocence and the handful of fateful decisions, made too young, that set one on their course for life. Unfortunately, for all its well-intentions, the film’s primary flaw is how remarkably forgettable it became shortly after its credits rolled.
THE SPECTACULAR NOW follows Keely, an exceptionally laid back teenager, following an unfortunate and seemingly accidental break-up with his long-standing girlfriend Cassidy. Early in the film, Keely is presented almost flawlessly, a victim of unfortunate circumstance that leaves him lonely. Shortly thereafter, he meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley), an attractive and friendly girl, seemingly devoid of hang-ups and problems, in the manner that the female leads of indie romantic comedies are always portrayed. In short order, the two begin a whirlwind, high school romance.
Several supporting characters, early in their relationship, purport the idea that Aimee is somehow an undesirable girlfriend. Everyone seems mystified that Sutter Keely, the class clown, would ever be interested in someone like Aimee. The difficult comes in why – she’s, at varying time, halfheartedly presented as both nerdy (she once mentions reading manga) and troubled (her unseen and overbearing mother formed an exceptionally minor subplot), but otherwise, she’s an attractive, intelligent and exceptionally likeable person. Rather than baking some true faults into Aimee’s personality, such as Sutter’s slowly revealed alcoholism, a coat of “complexity” is merely painted lazily across Aimee to convey three-dimensions and never referenced again.
The film takes a darker, more interesting turn in its second half, involving Keely’s deadbeat father (Kyle Chandler), a car accident and the comeuppances for the characters’ casual and negligent alcohol abuse the entire film. To its credit, THE SPECTACULAR NOW does eventually takes its protagonist to task for his character flaws, somewhat to the detriment of the plot, actually, for the tonal shift seems almost bizarre and put-upon, as though the screenwriter is railroaded into the formula all romantic comedies must observe. While, yes, Keely’s drinking features as a prominent character trait in the first half of the film, it’s never necessarily commented on nor made to seem in anyway undesirable until far, far later, near the film’s climax – it results in the loss of his job, an injury to his girlfriend and is the primary connecting factor between himself and his father.
Another baffling aspect of the film are its performances. Universally great, across almost the entire cast, the spotlight, of course, belongs solidly on its two stars – Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley have obvious chemistry from the moment they appear onscreen together and work perfectly as the puppy love couple. What’s confusing, however, are the supporting characters. Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and, worst of all, Bob Odenkirk round out the supposed indie’s supporting cast and, while all their performances are excellent, they’re so tragically underused, it seems a distinct shame that they appear in the film at all. Bob Odenkirk, particularly, is so grievously underused as Keely’s employer, he appears in two short, measly scenes and serves, almost more, to distract than to play the scene properly.
In short, THE SPECTACULAR NOW is an entertaining, exceptionally well-acted film, but the screenplay is at worst forgettable and at best lazily-written. It’s an enjoyable, entertaining watch, overall, but can’t survive any dissection or discussion without several key aspects falling apart under examination.
