This summer, a string of coming of age/teen experience movies with an indie feel have filtered through my local independent cinema. Finally, I actually made it to one: The Spectacular Now.
It was a moving film that hit a lot of high notes, and while clichés peppered the plot throughout, there was enough originality in their presentation that it felt new and specific. The movie takes place as high school comes to an end for Sutter, his newly ex-girlfriend Cassidy, new potential love interest Amy, and their peers. Touting himself as the life of the party, Sutter is unconvinced that it’s worth growing up and leaving high school. He’s stuck in that consequence-free philosophy of living in the now with a flask in hand.
Although Sutter, like all teens, must learn to grow up and move on, the beauty of The Spectacular Now comes in the way that message is conveyed. Unlike so many coming of age tales, which emphasize the inevitability of growing up, this film does not cast a glow of nostalgia on that time left behind. Entering adulthood is presented as a positive thing, a way to live with meaning and move beyond old bad habits. Except for Sutter, the teens in this film are glad to grow up and take on what’s next in life. “Living in the now” (along with the binge-drinking it inspires) is shown to be a flawed, selfish approach to life, which should be relegated to an adolescent phase.
Most successfully, without overly romanticizing adult responsibilities, this film reminds audiences that one of the best things about the teenage years is that they are only temporary. It’s a perspective that’s all but lacking in most teen fiction in this culture that values youth so highly. But it is an important one. For all the significance they do hold, the teens are a tiny fraction of a life. Firsts and milestones are important, but real life is what happens in between, and it’s always important to remember that.
While I would not call this film spectacular, it was really great to see the way it peeled back the layers of the traditional coming of age tropes to reveal a pathetic realism in the lives of these characters. It was sweet, and despite the cheesy college essay prompt framing the story, there was a depth to the narrative of self-discovery that often feels lacking in teen romps.
The Spectacular Now also wins in my book for least awkward, awkward sex scene of all time (including one of the best examples of demonstrating consent that I can think of!)
