Amazon.co.uk Review
Herman Raucher's autobiographical (or first person, anyway) coming-of-age tale Summer of 42 is set, as the title suggests, among sand dunes and departing GIs. Hermie (Gary Grimes) and his two buddies Oscar (Jerry Hauser) and the nerdy Benjie (Oliver Conant) are spending the summer doing the things preadolescents do: hanging out, eating ice cream, stealing "dirty" books from their parents and trying unsuccessfully to act manly around the gawky girls they take to the movies. Then Hermie spoils everything by really falling in love, this time with the adorable older woman Dorothy, played by Jennifer O'Neill. Dorothy's husband conveniently leaves for duty overseas and then, even more conveniently, becomes one of those "we regret" telegrams. Dorothy, desperate for comfort and sweetness, turns to Hermie--and surely makes his summer. The setting and the date give this movie a double helping of nostalgia for anyone who was once an adolescent boy desperately trying to get rid of both his callowness and his virginity. But the slow pace and dreamy atmosphere, courtesy of Robert Mulligan's direction and Michael Legrand's famous score, may give it less appeal to anyone who is still in that situation. --Richard Farr
Customer Reviews:
Romantic !.......2003-12-19
If you like romantic stories see this movie and be prepared because you will never forget it! If you love someone invite her or him to see this movie and to feel how love can be so pure.
Sweet, sad tale of love and loss in Summer of '42.......2003-11-22
In everyone's life, I often think, there is a Summer of '42 (or '52, or '62, and so on....), a time in which we discover the joys and sorrows of growing up...and falling in love. There are hijinks and pranks, jokes and playful insults...and always the bonds of friendship. But sometimes, in those days of discovery and self-awareness, we feel the angst of that first attraction, the bittersweet highs and lows of falling seriously in love for the first time -- sometimes with the right person, sometimes not. And of course, we feel the heartbreak of losing that cherished love...wondering what on Earth happened.
Based on Herman Raucher's autobiographical novel, Robert Mulligan's 1971 classic is one of those rare coming-of-age movies that stands heads and shoulders above those sex-obsessed, raunchy teen-oriented films (Private Lessons, Meatballs)that were released in later years. Starring Gary Grimes as Hermie, Jerry Hauser as Oscar, Oliver Conant as Benjie, and featuring the luminous Jennifer O'Neill as Dorothy, this lyrical, hysterically funny and heartbreakingly poignant film will ellicit both laughter and tears from all but the most stone-hearted viewer.
Summer of '42's plot revolves around the Terrible Trio of Hermie, Oscy, and Benjie, who live on a small island off the East Coast of the United States. It's the summer after Pearl Harbor, and all the men of military age are going off to the various fronts to fight the Axis powers. One of these is Dorothy's husband, Pete.
For Hermie, this opens up a whole world of possibilities. For in between all the usual boyish things he's done with Oscy and Benjie (among them, sneaking looks at "dirty books"), he's also fallen deeply in love with Dorothy. He spends time at her house, making himself useful by bringing in the groceries or helping her fix things...the "how do you like your coffee?" scene is a gem, evoking all those memories of how far we young guys would go to impress that "special" girl.
But before this movie fades to black to the strains of Michel Legrand's "The Summer Knows/Theme from Summer of '42," Hermie will learn that even heaven-sent (in this case, Pete's demise) opportunities come with a heavy price. Even though Hermie's fondest dream does come true (and the scenes of the preliminaries are among the funniest, particularly the purchase of a condom!), the results are somewhat sobering....and heartbreaking
A Haunting Movie About Adolescence.......2003-05-01
One of the highlights of movie making in 1971, this lovely film tells the story of three friends on their holidays during the summer of 1942. Gary Grimes plays Hermies, a shy teenager who becomes obssessed with Dorothy, (the beautiful Jennifer O'Neill) a soldier's wife. While admiring her from afar, he and his friends embark on a series of adventures as they discover that they are growing up and becoming interested in the local female talent. The highlights of this film are the very funny scene in the local Drugstore (which has to be seen to be believed, believe me, it is very funny!); and the final scenes when Hermies discovers that Dorothy has lost her husband in the war. This scene is very emotional, tastefully done, and is accompanied by the haunting film score Summer of '42. A little slow at times, it does succeed admirably because of its subject matter. Shot in soft focus, the picture does look a little grainy at times. It must be seen on DVD to be really appreciated though. One of those films you may not forget for a long time after its first viewing.
Amazon.co.uk Review
In Some Kind of Wonderful, John Hughes crystallises, for good and ill, much of the stock material of the modern high-school romantic comedy. There is the outsider boy Keith (Eric Stolz) with artistic talent and sexual ambitions above his lowly status in a hierarchy based on wealth and popularity. There is Watts, (Mary Stuart Masterson) the tomboy next door, whose good looks and love for him he has somehow always failed to notice. And, most interestingly, there is Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), who has parlayed her looks into running with the rich kids, but is starting to realise she has the worst of the bargain.
There are some odd ambiguities here--all three take passive-aggressive behaviour to a level that is not entirely sympathetic--as well as some slick plotting: Keith's attempt to befriend Amanda by following her into detention brings him into contact with delinquents like Duncan, a terrifying skinhead who is more than he seems. In the end, there is just enough edge and invention here to keep it from being as crass and sentimental as films which have imitated its formula.
On the DVD: Some Kind of Wonderful is presented in 1.78:1 visual aspect ratio and has Dolby 5:1 sound in English, surround sound in Italian and mono in German and Italian--it also has subtitles in those languages and Danish, Dutch, French, Norwegian, Swedish and Turkish and no other special features whatever. --Roz Kaveney
Customer Reviews:
Timeless love story. An easy and pleasurable film to watch.......2008-01-28
Ordinary boy chases unattainable, stunning, beautiful girl. All the time not noticing that his best friend is in love with him. It's a cliche and low on plausibility, but that doesn't matter. The scenes represent our dreams as teenagers, not reality.
What makes this a great movie is what isn't in it. For example when the street gang turns up at the rich kids party, it is left to our imagination as to what results. Best of all the tomboy doesn't put on a the obligatory ballgown to impress boy, she does it in character, as herself.
There is no escaping the fact that Mary Stuart Masterton does carry the movie. She is a dazzling lovable scamp. I would defy anyone not to fall in love with her. Eric Stolz, the male lead, I thought was wooden to the point of being annoying much of the time. Which is one reason I haven't given this 5 stars.
What is most boys fantasy? To be able to win over the best looking girl in the class from her idiot boyfriend. Then, realising that she isn't right for you, you quickly notice the overlooked girl next door. She is amazing and madly in love with you. You slap a ring on her finger and live happy ever after. Does it happen in the film? Watch and see.
I would recommend this to anyone with a romantic soul, who wants to be reminded what is is to be young.
The BEST ever Teen 80's film of all Time!!!!,.......2007-09-30
I was in my local Target Store this past Monday and I came across a copy of Some Kind of Wonderful on DVD FOR $8.99AU
I was in my early teens when this movie was released back in 1987. I remember enjoying the movie and every time I see the 3 lead actors in other productions I think back and remember that he or she were in "Some Kind of Wonderful"
At first I could not remember much about the movie as I had not seen it for over 19 years.
Last night I sat down to view the 80's teen film. I can not tell you how wonderful this movie is. The story line is Typical and Predictable. However as other reviews have mention it is the lead actors that pull of this production.
Watching this gem of a movie took me back to my teen years and remembering why I first feel in love with this production.
This is far the best of John Hughes movies of the 80's. Outstanding even Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.
If you can only have one of John Hughes movies from the 80's, Some Kind of Wonderful would be it.
With a wonderful cast and soundtrack at a great price you can not go wrong.
NOTE For Parents: This movie has Course Language which is what gives the movie its rating.
Had a very powerful influence on me........2007-06-07
When I was a teenage boy, I loved this film. Being a romantic soul then, this film summed up everything that I would have liked to happen in my own life. For a time I was obsessed with a passion about this film and during my late teans I probably watched this about 20 times (although I never mentioned it to my friends).
I heavily identified with the loner character, Keith, played by Eric Stolz. I thought May Stuart Masterton was wonderful in it and fell in love with her character. And with MSM's character secretly in love with Keith, you cannot believe how much I wanted to be him.
I loved everything about the film, including the characters and the plot. As far as I am concerned, this film achieved what any movie should. It caused a profound emotional reaction and completely imersed me in its fantasy world.
On an objective level, I am not sure this movie is worth five stars. I think the acting in some places is a bit shaky, the dialogue does not always flow and even the editing was poor in a couple of scenes. But on a personal level, I was passionate about the movie and did not really care. Despite its imperfections, because of the effect that it had on me, I think it would be unfair not to give it a full five stars.
I think anyone who likes romantic comedies may like this, especially if you feel like one of the outsiders. You may like it, but probably not as much as I did.
I still have a copy at home now.
Blast from the Past.......2006-04-22
I was in my early twenties when this movie came out, and my girlfiriend and I (now my wife) went to see it. Some of the songs from the movie stayed with me, especially Brilliant Mind by Furniture, but I had fogotten where I first heard it. I recently bought SKOW and was transported back to my youth instantaneously!!
A must have movie, great performances from Eric Stolz and Mary Stuart Masterson has prompted me to buy Benny and Joon, Breakfast Club, etc etc.
BUY IT and wallow in nostalgia!
Okay, but not wonderful!.......2005-06-09
Being of the "Breakfast Club" etc. generation I was keen to see this as I'd missed it at the time. It was enjoyable enough, but a little deriverative. Performances by the 3 leads were okay. But overall not awful at all if you just give in to it and imagine you are 15 again!!
Amazon.co.uk Review
In Some Kind of Wonderful, John Hughes crystallises, for good and ill, much of the stock material of the modern high-school romantic comedy. There is the outsider boy Keith (Eric Stolz) with artistic talent and sexual ambitions above his lowly status in a hierarchy based on wealth and popularity. There is Watts, (Mary Stuart Masterson) the tomboy next door, whose good looks and love for him he has somehow always failed to notice. And, most interestingly, there is Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), who has parlayed her looks into running with the rich kids, but is starting to realise she has the worst of the bargain.
There are some odd ambiguities here--all three take passive-aggressive behaviour to a level that is not entirely sympathetic--as well as some slick plotting: Keith's attempt to befriend Amanda by following her into detention brings him into contact with delinquents like Duncan, a terrifying skinhead who is more than he seems. In the end, there is just enough edge and invention here to keep it from being as crass and sentimental as films which have imitated its formula.
On the DVD: Some Kind of Wonderful is presented in 1.78:1 visual aspect ratio and has Dolby 5:1 sound in English, surround sound in Italian and mono in German and Italian--it also has subtitles in those languages and Danish, Dutch, French, Norwegian, Swedish and Turkish and no other special features whatever. --Roz Kaveney
Customer Reviews:
Timeless love story. An easy and pleasurable film to watch.......2008-01-28
Ordinary boy chases unattainable, stunning, beautiful girl. All the time not noticing that his best friend is in love with him. It's a cliche and low on plausibility, but that doesn't matter. The scenes represent our dreams as teenagers, not reality.
What makes this a great movie is what isn't in it. For example when the street gang turns up at the rich kids party, it is left to our imagination as to what results. Best of all the tomboy doesn't put on a the obligatory ballgown to impress boy, she does it in character, as herself.
There is no escaping the fact that Mary Stuart Masterton does carry the movie. She is a dazzling lovable scamp. I would defy anyone not to fall in love with her. Eric Stolz, the male lead, I thought was wooden to the point of being annoying much of the time. Which is one reason I haven't given this 5 stars.
What is most boys fantasy? To be able to win over the best looking girl in the class from her idiot boyfriend. Then, realising that she isn't right for you, you quickly notice the overlooked girl next door. She is amazing and madly in love with you. You slap a ring on her finger and live happy ever after. Does it happen in the film? Watch and see.
I would recommend this to anyone with a romantic soul, who wants to be reminded what is is to be young.
The BEST ever Teen 80's film of all Time!!!!,.......2007-09-30
I was in my local Target Store this past Monday and I came across a copy of Some Kind of Wonderful on DVD FOR $8.99AU
I was in my early teens when this movie was released back in 1987. I remember enjoying the movie and every time I see the 3 lead actors in other productions I think back and remember that he or she were in "Some Kind of Wonderful"
At first I could not remember much about the movie as I had not seen it for over 19 years.
Last night I sat down to view the 80's teen film. I can not tell you how wonderful this movie is. The story line is Typical and Predictable. However as other reviews have mention it is the lead actors that pull of this production.
Watching this gem of a movie took me back to my teen years and remembering why I first feel in love with this production.
This is far the best of John Hughes movies of the 80's. Outstanding even Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.
If you can only have one of John Hughes movies from the 80's, Some Kind of Wonderful would be it.
With a wonderful cast and soundtrack at a great price you can not go wrong.
NOTE For Parents: This movie has Course Language which is what gives the movie its rating.
Had a very powerful influence on me........2007-06-07
When I was a teenage boy, I loved this film. Being a romantic soul then, this film summed up everything that I would have liked to happen in my own life. For a time I was obsessed with a passion about this film and during my late teans I probably watched this about 20 times (although I never mentioned it to my friends).
I heavily identified with the loner character, Keith, played by Eric Stolz. I thought May Stuart Masterton was wonderful in it and fell in love with her character. And with MSM's character secretly in love with Keith, you cannot believe how much I wanted to be him.
I loved everything about the film, including the characters and the plot. As far as I am concerned, this film achieved what any movie should. It caused a profound emotional reaction and completely imersed me in its fantasy world.
On an objective level, I am not sure this movie is worth five stars. I think the acting in some places is a bit shaky, the dialogue does not always flow and even the editing was poor in a couple of scenes. But on a personal level, I was passionate about the movie and did not really care. Despite its imperfections, because of the effect that it had on me, I think it would be unfair not to give it a full five stars.
I think anyone who likes romantic comedies may like this, especially if you feel like one of the outsiders. You may like it, but probably not as much as I did.
I still have a copy at home now.
Blast from the Past.......2006-04-22
I was in my early twenties when this movie came out, and my girlfiriend and I (now my wife) went to see it. Some of the songs from the movie stayed with me, especially Brilliant Mind by Furniture, but I had fogotten where I first heard it. I recently bought SKOW and was transported back to my youth instantaneously!!
A must have movie, great performances from Eric Stolz and Mary Stuart Masterson has prompted me to buy Benny and Joon, Breakfast Club, etc etc.
BUY IT and wallow in nostalgia!
Okay, but not wonderful!.......2005-06-09
Being of the "Breakfast Club" etc. generation I was keen to see this as I'd missed it at the time. It was enjoyable enough, but a little deriverative. Performances by the 3 leads were okay. But overall not awful at all if you just give in to it and imagine you are 15 again!!
Amazon.co.uk Review
Molly Ringwald established herself as the teen queen of the 1980s in this fresh comedy, Sixteen Candles. The movie is a day in the life of Samantha, whose 16th birthday is turning out to be anything but sweet. All the traumas of teendom come down on one long day, which sees her surrounded by dithery relatives, mooning over a high-school hunk, and pursued by a sawed-off Lothario. Sixteen Candles marked the directing debut of John Hughes, and its goofy energy displayed a promising talent with a great ear for high school lingo... a promise neglected since Hughes became, after Home Alone, a one-man entertainment industry. There are some pretty crass moments (why the stereotype of the foreign-exchange student from Asia?) but Ringwald's steady appeal smoothes over the rough spots. As the pubescent, self-styled lady-killer, Anthony Michael Hall turns in a hilarious portrait of a young swinger; he and Ringwald would reteam with Hughes for The Breakfast Club, another key teen picture of the decade. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
This is getting good.......2005-05-30
Revolutionary in its time, now it plays just as well; however you spend a lot of time thinking about this is where it all started. We all have our favorite parts and people. What is that at the fountain? No it can't be, Joan Cusack? And this is the last time you will see Jamie Gertz on the bench.
You will have to watch it several times to take it all in.
------------------------------------
It is a double due for Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald). It is her birthday and the school dance. Tomorrow her sister is getting married. So Grand Parents are converging with their grandparent quirks.
Turns out hat Samantha like Jake who is going with Caroline. Mean time back at the dance other agendas arise with the geeks challenging Farmer Ted (a young Anthony Michael Hall) to do it with Samantha or fork over several floppies. We see parties and their aftermath. In the end can Farmer Ted place all the people where they belong? In the mean time he says, "This, is getting good."
A funny yet poignant look at teenaged life.......2003-01-21
For many of us who came of age in the glorious 1980s, especially geeky folks like myself, Molly Ringwald is an important part of our experience and memories. Pretty but not glamorous, Molly served as a beacon of sorts for me. Sixteen Candles is the first of a string of films in which Molly Ringwald dramatized the teen angst so many of us felt This is basically the story of Samantha (Molly), who must deal with the fact that her family forgets her 16th birthday while she is also suffering from the bad effects of a crush on a boy who seemingly doesn't know she exists. I love to rewatch Molly's movies every so often in order to capture some of those feelings of lovelorn giddiness that seemed to disappear in my 20s. This movie is very funny and does succeed in conveying the feelings of a confused teenager, yet it seems overblown in some places. For example, the whole Asian foreign exchange student character is far from needed, the degree to which teenaged partygoers wreck the host's home is extreme, the dental headpiece worn by a young Joan Cusack serves no purpose, and the farcical wedding of Samanth'a sister is pretty silly. I should say that Anthony Michael Hall as "the geek" is superb and almost steals the whole show, but for me this movie is all about Molly.
Where this movie excels is in its portrayal of teenaged emotions and teenager-parent relations. The very notion that your parents might forget your sweet sixteenth birthday is downright traumatic. The scene between Samantha and her father late that night struck me as classic. Even though the father gets his daughter to open up to him, he does not understand what she is talking about when it should be obvious to anyone; his cliché responses to the real problem are typically useless parental words of support. Segments of the movie such as this are very real and connect on a personal level with the viewer. I would like to have seen more of this type of interaction, but the farcical elements of the movie dominate the screen and, in my opinion, make it less successful than it should have been. As for the music, the rescoring of the motion picture does have a negative impact on the viewing experience; there are still some cool 80s songs that bring back memories, but the new music pasted into the film is often too loud, inappropriate, and just plain wrong, especially for those of us who have watched this movie a number of times and plan to watch it again and again as we get older. All in all, though, this is a fun movie and a great way to rekindle your memories of young adulthood. I'm not sure that the present generation of young men and women will connect as strongly to this movie or to Molly Ringwald as I did, but I am sure they can at least get some great entertainment value out of it.
A Sweet Slice of American Life in the Reagan/Thatcher Years.......2002-05-20
I saw this movie in the theatre when it first came out and I catch it everytime it's on TV simply because it never fails to coax a laugh out of me without being a "gross-out fest" like a lot of teen comedies of today. John Hughes is a genius at capturing the enduring vignettes of youth. This movie is funny and poignant and shows the true "angst" of every teenager who is still attempting to find out exactly who they are in the crazy world around them. Molly Ringwald (who became America's reigning teen movie princess because of this movie) gives a wonderful
performance and Anthony Michael Hall as the "geek" is superb. You can catch John Cusack in a small cameo long before he was "Being John Malkovich." Great movie when you are feeling a bit blue---it will leave you smiling and thinking that even geeks and awkward girls can grab the brass ring.
Funny, Sad, Happy - Everything a teenagers life is every day.......2000-09-24
Loved it. This film is about Samantha who's sixteenth birthday is forgotten by her family due to all the fuss over her sisters wedding. As the film progresses it shows her day. From her at school in class passing a note to her best friend about who she fancies; only for the note to be seen by that guy. To when she gets home to find her embarrassing grandparents have arrived. And then onto the school dance where she makes friends with the school geek. The only mistakes this film had was making her grandparents too embarrassing,(no-ones gp's are that bad). And by making the Asian boy a goody-two shoes untill he is led astray by the American teens. This film has everything and if you're a fan of 80's romantic comedies and Molly Ringwald then this film is for you. This film has Molly Ringwald at her best and to see other great films with her in it. Watch Pretty In Pink and The Breakfast Club. This is a must see movie
Amazon.co.uk Review
Wonder Boys is one of those films in which more twists and turns disrupt the life of the hero in one weekend than would bother most of us our whole lives. Professor Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is an aging one-novel wunderkind at a small Pittsburgh college who's labouring on his seven-years-in-the-making, 2000-plus-page second opus with no end in sight. The morning of the college's literary Glastonbury, WordFest, Grady's wife leaves him; that evening, his mistress (Frances McDormand) announces she's pregnant (she's also the Chancellor of the school, as well as the wife of Grady's boss). Grady's voracious editor (Robert Downey Jr) is also in town, transvestite date in tow, determined to read the highly anticipated new book; there's also the nubile student (Katie Holmes), who seems more than willing to ease Grady's pain. And then there's James Leer (Tobey Maguire), the mordant and brilliant writing student who's the catalyst for Grady's lost weekend, which involves a soon-to-be-dead blind dog, a stolen car and the jacket that Marilyn Monroe wore when she wed Joe DiMaggio.
The writing and acting in this film is superb. Douglas, by turns dryly sarcastic and sincerely heartfelt , single-handedly makes up for years of alpha-male posturing as the passive pothead Tripp, and whoever thought of pairing him with the resilient McDormand is brilliant--they convey the complexities and history of their relationship in a single glance or movement. The rest of the cast also are exceptional, with Maguire in a breakthrough performance and Downey at his manic best. The ending may feel a little too pat, but after everything these characters have been through, it seems a just reward. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
Not for me.......2008-01-24
Found the film to be boring and long winded. Personally would not recommend. Thought with Michael Douglas there would be some pace,but dour and miserable all the way through.
A PROPERLY ADULT FILM.......2007-08-14
Given the modern trend for aggressive physical comedy and unforgiving, punishing dramas, I can see how Wonderboys got lost. It's seems to have come from another era altogether.
The comic and dramatic tone of the film is baggy, the story is rambling and forgiving, and the characters are messy around the edges. All of this feels to me a truer and more generous reflection of adult experience than the overheated melodramas Hollywood regularly serves up as adult fare.
The film's pleasures are also tonal - there's the atmosphere of Pittsburg, the feeling for campus life, and the mood of a certain season, and a certain time of evening. It notices this kind of beauty in a way very few American films do anymore. Sideways, gloriously, was another film that did.
Wonderboys, and Sideways like it, have a kinship with a certain kind of drama the studios used to make in the 1970s. Even if they're a little sweeter than a film like Five Easy Pieces, they share with that movie, and others like it, a proper concern for the fate of people panicking over their choices as they grow old.
Things you put on your legs.......2007-05-27
I was more than a little bored by this film and wouldn't waste my time watching it again. I couldn't care for any of the characters in this film (not even RDJ's which is going some) so... pants.
Simply Wonderful.......2007-02-27
An eclectic, electric cast; a brilliant director; a delightful score; a fabulous script and outstanding source material. Many times films which have boasted most these advantages have fallen flat for one reason or another; Wonderboys does not. Wonderboys is great, Wonderboys is marvellous, god damn it all right, Wonderboys is wonderful. It's a terrific movie.
The cast is note perfect and while Michael Douglas carries the film (and does so with a paradoxical mixture of honesty, deception, vulnerability and tough charm) there is a leaning towards an ensemble, which allows sufficient space so that each character is realised with wit and subtlety. With so many good performances in the film it feels almost invidious to single out any one actor for praise over the others however, Robert Downey Jr's precision and comic timing are breathtaking. None of the characters is a let down, Tobey Maguire's oddity and preternatural brilliance is nicely balanced by Katie Holmes' sweetness and Douglas's love for Frances McDormand is wholly credible (though I have to admit I've been at least a little bit in love with her since I first saw her in Mississippi Burning 18 years ago).
Curtis Hanson's direction is a large part of what allows these fine actors to all turn in such stellar performances. He's clearly an actor's director, he's turned out a string of films in which actors have been given every opportunity to show us the range of their skills; L.A. Confidential, The River Wild, The Hand that Rocked the Cradle all have this stamp. What sets Wonderboys above those films, even the magnificent L.A. Confidential, is brilliance of the script.
The script is filled with delicious grace notes and banter as the various characters take each others utterances and play them back at their originator to either comic or dramatic effect.
The story is filled with a seemingly endless series of mishaps, strange events and coincidences. In other hands they could have come across as forced, or too unlikely, however the mixture of this cast, Hanson's skill and the strength of the source material makes even the most unlikely twists seem almost inevitable. Hanson's balancing of the needs of the actors, the story and script is flawless. The source material is Michael Chabon's novel by the same name. The translation from page to screen is deft and the material excised to make this so was chosen with a rare sensibility. Even so I would also recommend a reading of Chabon's book, or indeed anything else he's written, he is one of the best American writers now working.
I've not said anything about the plot and don't intend to, I simply urge you to, rent, borrow, or buy a copy of this film, it's truly Wonderful.
humorous but slow-paced and too deep.......2006-09-15
There is a lot of dry humour in Wonder Boys but I found the excruciatingly slow pace of the film overwhelming at times.
This is a film for intellectuals,where there is a lot of talk about great literature and book-writing.Somewhere along the line the scriptwriters forgot to inject some life into the proceedings.Characters are developed in great detail.If they had been more shallowly portrayed I wouldn't have felt as if I was drowning in a flood of information.
Customer Reviews:
Back To Childhood.......2006-03-24
I first saw this funny and easy-going film late one night by chance. It turned out to be one of the best films I have ever seen - not because of acting, direction or star quality. Merely because it takes to back to where you were at 16-lovestruck and hopeless to do anything about it. This film evokes emotions in young men we havent felt for a long time - uncontrollable obsession towards the proverbial girl next door. A wonderful film to take you back and remember your first love who was always just too pretty for you. Ah the summer days!
Amazon.co.uk Review
Molly Ringwald established herself as the teen queen of the 1980s in this fresh comedy, Sixteen Candles. The movie is a day in the life of Samantha, whose 16th birthday is turning out to be anything but sweet. All the traumas of teendom come down on one long day, which sees her surrounded by dithery relatives, mooning over a high-school hunk, and pursued by a sawed-off Lothario. Sixteen Candles marked the directing debut of John Hughes, and its goofy energy displayed a promising talent with a great ear for high school lingo... a promise neglected since Hughes became, after Home Alone, a one-man entertainment industry. There are some pretty crass moments (why the stereotype of the foreign-exchange student from Asia?) but Ringwald's steady appeal smoothes over the rough spots. As the pubescent, self-styled lady-killer, Anthony Michael Hall turns in a hilarious portrait of a young swinger; he and Ringwald would reteam with Hughes for The Breakfast Club, another key teen picture of the decade. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
This is getting good.......2005-05-30
Revolutionary in its time, now it plays just as well; however you spend a lot of time thinking about this is where it all started. We all have our favorite parts and people. What is that at the fountain? No it can't be, Joan Cusack? And this is the last time you will see Jamie Gertz on the bench.
You will have to watch it several times to take it all in.
------------------------------------
It is a double due for Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald). It is her birthday and the school dance. Tomorrow her sister is getting married. So Grand Parents are converging with their grandparent quirks.
Turns out hat Samantha like Jake who is going with Caroline. Mean time back at the dance other agendas arise with the geeks challenging Farmer Ted (a young Anthony Michael Hall) to do it with Samantha or fork over several floppies. We see parties and their aftermath. In the end can Farmer Ted place all the people where they belong? In the mean time he says, "This, is getting good."
A funny yet poignant look at teenaged life.......2003-01-21
For many of us who came of age in the glorious 1980s, especially geeky folks like myself, Molly Ringwald is an important part of our experience and memories. Pretty but not glamorous, Molly served as a beacon of sorts for me. Sixteen Candles is the first of a string of films in which Molly Ringwald dramatized the teen angst so many of us felt This is basically the story of Samantha (Molly), who must deal with the fact that her family forgets her 16th birthday while she is also suffering from the bad effects of a crush on a boy who seemingly doesn't know she exists. I love to rewatch Molly's movies every so often in order to capture some of those feelings of lovelorn giddiness that seemed to disappear in my 20s. This movie is very funny and does succeed in conveying the feelings of a confused teenager, yet it seems overblown in some places. For example, the whole Asian foreign exchange student character is far from needed, the degree to which teenaged partygoers wreck the host's home is extreme, the dental headpiece worn by a young Joan Cusack serves no purpose, and the farcical wedding of Samanth'a sister is pretty silly. I should say that Anthony Michael Hall as "the geek" is superb and almost steals the whole show, but for me this movie is all about Molly.
Where this movie excels is in its portrayal of teenaged emotions and teenager-parent relations. The very notion that your parents might forget your sweet sixteenth birthday is downright traumatic. The scene between Samantha and her father late that night struck me as classic. Even though the father gets his daughter to open up to him, he does not understand what she is talking about when it should be obvious to anyone; his cliché responses to the real problem are typically useless parental words of support. Segments of the movie such as this are very real and connect on a personal level with the viewer. I would like to have seen more of this type of interaction, but the farcical elements of the movie dominate the screen and, in my opinion, make it less successful than it should have been. As for the music, the rescoring of the motion picture does have a negative impact on the viewing experience; there are still some cool 80s songs that bring back memories, but the new music pasted into the film is often too loud, inappropriate, and just plain wrong, especially for those of us who have watched this movie a number of times and plan to watch it again and again as we get older. All in all, though, this is a fun movie and a great way to rekindle your memories of young adulthood. I'm not sure that the present generation of young men and women will connect as strongly to this movie or to Molly Ringwald as I did, but I am sure they can at least get some great entertainment value out of it.
A Sweet Slice of American Life in the Reagan/Thatcher Years.......2002-05-20
I saw this movie in the theatre when it first came out and I catch it everytime it's on TV simply because it never fails to coax a laugh out of me without being a "gross-out fest" like a lot of teen comedies of today. John Hughes is a genius at capturing the enduring vignettes of youth. This movie is funny and poignant and shows the true "angst" of every teenager who is still attempting to find out exactly who they are in the crazy world around them. Molly Ringwald (who became America's reigning teen movie princess because of this movie) gives a wonderful
performance and Anthony Michael Hall as the "geek" is superb. You can catch John Cusack in a small cameo long before he was "Being John Malkovich." Great movie when you are feeling a bit blue---it will leave you smiling and thinking that even geeks and awkward girls can grab the brass ring.
Funny, Sad, Happy - Everything a teenagers life is every day.......2000-09-24
Loved it. This film is about Samantha who's sixteenth birthday is forgotten by her family due to all the fuss over her sisters wedding. As the film progresses it shows her day. From her at school in class passing a note to her best friend about who she fancies; only for the note to be seen by that guy. To when she gets home to find her embarrassing grandparents have arrived. And then onto the school dance where she makes friends with the school geek. The only mistakes this film had was making her grandparents too embarrassing,(no-ones gp's are that bad). And by making the Asian boy a goody-two shoes untill he is led astray by the American teens. This film has everything and if you're a fan of 80's romantic comedies and Molly Ringwald then this film is for you. This film has Molly Ringwald at her best and to see other great films with her in it. Watch Pretty In Pink and The Breakfast Club. This is a must see movie
UK DVD:
- Suzi Perry's Superbike Weekend - Access All Areas [2001]
- Taiji-Quan by Thierry Alibert, Vol. 2
- The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert [1994] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Bollywood Dance Workout with Hemalayaa [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Cazalets [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Doom Generation [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Firm: Bootcamp - Maximum Calorie Burn [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Five People You Meet in Heaven [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Hole [2003] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- The Hunger [1983]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
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Summer of '42: Original Soundtrack
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