Film Review: "The Spectacular Now" (2013).

"From the writers of (500) Days of Summer" comes The Spectacular Now. This coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Tim Tharp. The film tells the tale of Sutter Keely, a high school senior and effortless charmer, and of how he unexpectedly falls in love with "the good girl" Aimee Finecky. What starts as an unlikely romance becomes a sharp-eyed, straight-up snapshot of the heady confusion and haunting passion of youth—one that doesn’t look for tidy truths.

By late July 2012, Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyle Chandler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dayo Okeniyi, Andre Royo, and Bob Odenkirk were cast in an adaptation of Tharp's 2008 novel with Ponsoldt, and Neustadter and Weber penning the adaptation. After The Descendants (2011), Woodley had not been given any scripts she was passionate about making and had seriously considered dropping out of acting to pursue another career. Thankfully this project came her way and she fell in love with it. According to Ponsoldt, he was worried that Teller and Woodley wouldn't get along after he saw them interact at a lunch he arranged. Teller (who was late to meeting because he had been in Las Vegas with friends the night before) was outgoing and energetic, while Woodley, though amused by Teller, was quiet and for the most part kept to herself unless she was spoken to. After the lunch was over and Ponsoldt was driving away, he noticed Woodley and Teller talking in the parking lot, but decided to leave them alone - he later found out that the two of them spent two hours talking and getting to know each other in the parking lot. Teller and Woodley are now close friends. However, at one point during preproduction, the script began to change. Woodley was worried that the new rewrites would make the story less honest, and at one point even called Teller to tell him that she was thinking of dropping out. Teller managed to convince her to stay on the movie, and the rewrites never happened. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and filming took place throughout Georgia.

The film stars Teller, Woodley, Larson, Leigh, Chandler, Winstead, Okeniyi, Royo, and Odenkirk. By combining a light, frank, comic touch with real emotion and weighty, human performances were given by all those involved. Teller is immense in this picture, a true force of nature who embodies so many complexities and demons that make him this perpetually broken protagonist. Woodley comes into her own in this lightly directed and disarmingly enjoyable film.

There's nothing completely astonishing or shocking that goes on in the film, but that's not to say it isn't captivating and completely worth your time. While the film doesn't flinch away from some grim realities of alcoholism, it's not an unrelentingly grim kitchen-sink drama; there are attempts at a bit of teen comedy.

Simon says The Spectacular Now receives: