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DokBrowne [ 8.5 ]
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I think video stores are my favorite places in the world...I was doing my usual rounds at Hollywood Video a few days ago, scanning each row of the non-new release sections for appealing titles, when I came upon this movie which I had somehow never heard of. I knew right away that I had to rent it immediately when I noticed that a) the title sounded like a romantic comedy, b) it looked like it was made in the '80s, and c) it starred Patrick Dempsey and Helen Slater, two reasonably charming icons of my movie-watching youth (I used to watch "Secret of My Success", "Can't Buy Me Love", and "Loverboy" all the time). And then I did a wee bit of research before turning it on, just curious as to why it was so anonymous and what the general consensus might be, only to learn that the few who've seen all think it's completely awful junk. So I settled in not expecting much, but hoping maybe to enjoy its sense of goodwill and old-fashioned (which for a youngster like me implies the '80s) values. Plus it's a college comedy, one of my inexplicably most beloved of all movie sub-genres. And then it turns out to be this insightful, passionate "Say Anything"-type dramedy that actually explores the characters, handles their obligatory conflicts with maturity (or at least creativity), and seems to breathe with actual life. It isn't perfect, of course - there are some annoying attempts at humor, Helen Slater as the uninhibited free spirit can be grating at times, the sound and picture quality aren't always top notch, and the old adage that a writer needs to experience life to write about it is beaten to death and then some by the screenplay - but just the fact that it has interesting and thoughtful things to say about love, life, college, and being a writer is pretty astonishing for a movie this far beneath the radar. On top of which, Dempsey and Slater, while not complete pros, inject more spirit into these performances than either of them ever has in any of the dozens of movies they've been in over the years. That may not be saying much to some people, who regard them as crappy B-movie relics, but I even encourage those people to check this movie out. They're both excellent, and enormously vigorous with the characters. There's even an impromptu musical number of sorts where they go dancing throughout their dorm, and you know what? Even though the movie is low budget and the director doesn't know how to put scenes together with the greatest skill, it was magical. The actors sold it, and it was such a refreshing change of pace from the slop I often sit through in teen movies of any brand. I am highly supportive of any film that doesn't just feel like it's going through the motions (although I admit to enjoying plenty that do, I suppose, for various reasons), that shows a little extra credit in its creation, that doesn't just cynically crank out a formula but shows conviction and energy. I praise the movie in that way because it reminds me a little of some modern independent films that you can tell are well-made and really cool but suffer in their execution from limitations of skill and/or budget. Nevertheless, this is one of the biggest surprises I have ever unearthed, renewing my faith in many things, including '80s cinema (I've seen a lot of garbage from it lately), Helen Slater (who I'd grown to hate over the years), romantic comedies, video stores, and my own life even. Yeah, I'm easily won over. But consider, four of my absolute most loved motive motifs are all wrapped into "Happy Together": 1) the college caper, 2) the coming-of-age tale, 3) the falling-hopelessly-and-euphorically-in-love thing, and 4) the living-life-to-its-fullest theme. If I had discovered this movie at the age of 50, I'm sure I would've suffered 8 simultaneous heart attacks of sheer delight.
There's more to say but I think I've made enough of a fool of myself already. If anyone else ever rates this movie on OOFnet and says it sucks (as I predict would happen), well, just know that veteran OOFnet goofball DokBrowne will always trumpet the movie, loud and proud. A wonderful unseen gem.
P.S. Yes, the Turtles song is used for a montage
P.P.S. I'm pretty sure Matt LeBlanc is an extra sitting next to Dempsey the first time he goes to the writing class. For whatever that's worth. Oh, and Brad Pitt is in a few scenes, too. Seriously.
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| Weighted Rating | : 6.9 |
| No. Ratings | : 3 | |
| No. Reviews | : 2 | |
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