Captures a generational moment - young people on the cusp of truly growing up, tiring of their reflexive cynicism, each in their own ways struggling to connect and define what it means to love and be loved.
We consulted IMDb's Highest-Rated Action-Family Films to came up with 10 scene-stealing action figures your kids can relate to, look up to, and be inspired by.
When 30-something Jesse returns to his alma mater for a professor's retirement party, he falls for Zibby, a college student, and is faced with a powerful attraction that springs up between them.
A novelist struggling with writer's block finds romance in a most unusual way: by creating a female character he thinks will love him, then willing her into existence.
A tragedy presents Laurel with the chance to reinvent herself as her idolized twin sister, Audrey. As she eases into the life she has always wanted, she must decide between continuing the lie or revealing herself as the perfect fraud.
On a summer break from college, a young epileptic woman struggles to balance her feelings for her fledgling boyfriend while her friend Al crashes with her for the season.
Wallace, who is burned out from a string of failed relationships, forms an instant bond with Chantry, who lives with her longtime boyfriend. Together, they puzzle out what it means if your best friend is also the love of your life.
Rachel is a quick-witted and lovable stay-at-home mom. Frustrated with the realities of preschool auctions, a lackluster sex life and career that's gone kaput, Rachel visits a strip club to spice up her marriage and meets McKenna, a stripper she adopts as her live-in nanny.
Two seemingly unconnected souls from different corners of the United States make a telepathic bond that allows them to see, hear and feel the others experiences, creating a bond that apparently can't be broken.
Director:
Brin Hill
Stars:
Zoe Kazan,
Michael Stahl-David,
Mark Feuerstein
George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who has made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.
Director:
Gavin Wiesen
Stars:
Freddie Highmore,
Emma Roberts,
Michael Angarano
An acclaimed writer, his ex-wife, and their teenaged children come to terms with the complexities of love in all its forms over the course of one tumultuous year.
Director:
Josh Boone
Stars:
Greg Kinnear,
Jennifer Connelly,
Lily Collins
In the throes of a quarter-life crisis, Megan panics when her boyfriend proposes, then, taking an opportunity to escape for a week, hides out in the home of her new friend, 16-year-old Annika, who lives with her world-weary single dad.
Director:
Lynn Shelton
Stars:
Keira Knightley,
Chloë Grace Moretz,
Sam Rockwell
High school student Nick O'Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg when she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.
Six New Yorkers juggle love, friendship, and the keenly challenging specter of adulthood. Sam Wexler is a struggling writer who's having a particularly bad day. When a young boy gets separated from his family on the subway, Sam makes the questionable decision to bring the child back to his apartment and thus begins a rewarding, yet complicated, friendship. Sam's life revolves around his friends-Annie, whose self-image keeps her from commitment; Charlie and Mary Catherine, a couple whose possible move to Los Angeles tests their relationship; and Mississippi, a cabaret singer who catches Sam's eye. Written by
Sundance Film Festival
Even though Mary Catherine discovers she's pregnant, she never mentions it out loud. The only time she says anything about it is whispered so that the audience can't hear. See more »
Goofs
During certain scenes, Malin Akerman's hair is visible from under her head wrap. See more »
Quotes
Annie:
Sadness be gone, let's be people who deserve to be loved, who are worthy, cause we are worthy.
See more »
Smile
Written by Matt Hines, Jon Rice, Steven Stetson, Keith May, Brian Kwasnik, Erik Pederson
Performed by Bear Lake
Courtesy of Bear Lake Music LLC
By Arrangement With North Star Music Group See more »
As someone who enjoys shameless chick flicks and Josh Radnor, but is also a Sundance enthusiast, I really wanted to like this film. The storyline was fine, the music by Jaymay was awesome, the actors are all decent.
That being said, it was totally apparent that Radnor is still an amateur at writing and directing. You know how, in high school, when your friend asked you to read their angsty poetry, and it took all of you not to roll your eyes? That's what watching this movie was kind of like.
There was so much contrived drama that it would have been better suited to a soap opera or comedy. Instead, the actors had to take a superficially dramatic script and try to wring some drama out of it. For instance, the movie starts off with a one-night-stand leaving Radnor's apartment just as he wakes up and realizes he is late for an interview. Conveniently, his best friend leaves a voicemail as he's getting ready, as if she would know he were there listening, perfectly timed to tell him to tuck his shirt in right as he finishes dressing. But it's not a comedy! It's just trying to be clever. He ends up speaking with her on the phone and says something like, "Why did I oversleep? Why am I so afraid of success?" This sounds exactly like what some screen writing student would think that a self-pitying artist would say. The rest of the movie moves conveniently along these lines: things a screen writing student THINKS his characters would say. Unfortunately, film enthusiasts will be unsurprised by every line fed to them from here on out.
Rasheen's character was great and would have made this a promising movie if only his presence in the plot was not based on some ridiculous presence.
I'm curious to see what Radnor will do next, but he'd probably be wise to work on short films and practice the art of delighting the audience in as little time as possible before attempting a longer format again.
38 of 65 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
As someone who enjoys shameless chick flicks and Josh Radnor, but is also a Sundance enthusiast, I really wanted to like this film. The storyline was fine, the music by Jaymay was awesome, the actors are all decent.
That being said, it was totally apparent that Radnor is still an amateur at writing and directing. You know how, in high school, when your friend asked you to read their angsty poetry, and it took all of you not to roll your eyes? That's what watching this movie was kind of like.
There was so much contrived drama that it would have been better suited to a soap opera or comedy. Instead, the actors had to take a superficially dramatic script and try to wring some drama out of it. For instance, the movie starts off with a one-night-stand leaving Radnor's apartment just as he wakes up and realizes he is late for an interview. Conveniently, his best friend leaves a voicemail as he's getting ready, as if she would know he were there listening, perfectly timed to tell him to tuck his shirt in right as he finishes dressing. But it's not a comedy! It's just trying to be clever. He ends up speaking with her on the phone and says something like, "Why did I oversleep? Why am I so afraid of success?" This sounds exactly like what some screen writing student would think that a self-pitying artist would say. The rest of the movie moves conveniently along these lines: things a screen writing student THINKS his characters would say. Unfortunately, film enthusiasts will be unsurprised by every line fed to them from here on out.
Rasheen's character was great and would have made this a promising movie if only his presence in the plot was not based on some ridiculous presence.
I'm curious to see what Radnor will do next, but he'd probably be wise to work on short films and practice the art of delighting the audience in as little time as possible before attempting a longer format again.