17 Again (2009)
While many of you (or at least the few of you who actually read these boards) may think it blasphemous for me to even post something like this, hear me out please. I myself was initially very skeptical about 17 Again (2009); it seemed to me just another teen/frat targeted junk house vehicle for newbie hunk Zac Efron (you know, Mr. 24-pack from the High School Musical movies), so I was planning on giving it an eternal miss. Then, however, I started reading interesting reviews from my usual sources, which have always been reliable. After a second rumination on the subject, I decided to see it, and all I can say is that, like Star Trek (2009), do not judge a book by its cover; or more appropriately, do not judge a film by its trailer. 17 Again is an enjoyable, funny, and surprisingly touching movie, and what it lacks in originality it more than compensates in subtle heart and solid acting. And the crazy thing is that Efron can actually act! Who knew?
The film begins at the end of the 1980s, where high school senior Mike O'Donnell (Efron, who is no doubt in a familiar role, but wait!) is well on his way to earning a basketball scholarship and a life of glory. Despite being a deservingly confident jock with beautiful girlfriend Scarlett (Allison Miller), his best friend is squirt nerd Ned Gold (Tyler Steelman), who Mike protects and defends. Sugar-coated? Yes, but don’t worry, it's short lived. Right before a make-or-break basketball game (with the typical convenient/inconvenient “the college talent scout is in the stands watching tonight’s game” scenario), Mike finds out that Scarlett is pregnant. And so their lives are changed forever, as Mike abandon’s the game and his dreams to support his family-on-the-way. Fast forward two decades of regret, and we find verge-of-his-40s Mike (an excellent Matthew Perry), a man riddled with disappointment. Through this, Mike has lost touch with his two high school children, Alex O'Donnell (Sterling Knight) and Maggie O'Donnell (Michelle Trachtenberg), and with his marriage to Scarlett O'Donnell (an equally excellent Leslie Mann). The one light in Mike’s crumbling life is Ned (an always enjoyable Thomas Lennon). Now a multimillionaire from computers (the ultimate revenge of the nerd), Ned takes in his broken friend as they try and pick up the pieces. On a trip to pick up his kids from High School (yes, the same one he went to), Mike runs into an old basketball picture of himself. While reminiscing, a mysterious custodian (Brian Doyle-Murray of the jackass boss in Christmas Vacation (1989) fame) appears, asking Mike if he would like to have a second chance at doing it all again, a no-brainer response follows. Later on, in a scene rifted right out of It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Mike is morphed back into his high school body (Efron again) and then the journey begins. Convincing Ned to enroll him into high school, Mike attempts to use his new/old body to learn about and protect his children, as well as reconnect with his wife. The quest, so to speak, makes for moments of obvious humor and Elektra-like awkwardness, but more importantly, it makes for moments of bare honesty for a family in ruins.
If the film is charged with being a mash-up of It's a Wonderful Life and Freaky Friday (2003), it does so in the best way. The film is not so serious that the audience can’t have fun, but it’s also not just a throwaway effort. Director Burr Steers (who helmed 2002’s Igby Goes Down and wrote the screenplay for 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) skillfully weaves the movie’s themes through a narrative that is never stagnant. In addition, Steers gives this genre a run for its money, providing the actors with more to do and expertly handling the movie’s most sensitive element, Efron. What could have easily gone down the path of Can’t Hardly Wait (1998) or even Varsity Blues (1999) instead becomes a film that transcends typical high school flicks with its bi-generational focus, and while Efron may shine, he doesn’t shine alone. Lennon truly steals every scene he’s in, as always, and he pulls off the uber-nerd just as effortlessly as he does the gay cop on Reno 911!. This is especially rewarding when Ned falls for Principal Jane Masterson (an intriguing Melora Hardin). Mann is radiant and endearing, again as always, developing a much more compelling motherly character than she did in Knocked Up (2007), which she was great in as well. That being said, Perry is the film’s secret weapon. Arguably the most flexible and palatable male Friends alum, Perry provides an incredibly honest portrayal of a weathered soul, weary from becoming a father too soon. While his scenes bookend the film, they have the greatest impact and carry the themes home. To compliment this, Efron does a commendable job channeling the Perryisms of his character’s older self, proving his worth as the central character and holding his own amongst the excellent supporting cast. If this continues, Efron is well on his way to breaking his tweeny mold.
In the end, 17 Again probably won’t change your life, but it might surprise you. For those of you who found the resolution in Juno (2007) a little too convenient and light, this will give you all the reasons you need to avoid unplanned pregnancy, but without the indie shtick (if you even care) and without the Judd Apatow toilet humor (because the cast might suggest that). All in all, this film digs deeper than one would guess, and it just plain works. But it also has Efron, so regardless, girls will walk out in love, and guys just might walk out with a man-crush.
The film begins at the end of the 1980s, where high school senior Mike O'Donnell (Efron, who is no doubt in a familiar role, but wait!) is well on his way to earning a basketball scholarship and a life of glory. Despite being a deservingly confident jock with beautiful girlfriend Scarlett (Allison Miller), his best friend is squirt nerd Ned Gold (Tyler Steelman), who Mike protects and defends. Sugar-coated? Yes, but don’t worry, it's short lived. Right before a make-or-break basketball game (with the typical convenient/inconvenient “the college talent scout is in the stands watching tonight’s game” scenario), Mike finds out that Scarlett is pregnant. And so their lives are changed forever, as Mike abandon’s the game and his dreams to support his family-on-the-way. Fast forward two decades of regret, and we find verge-of-his-40s Mike (an excellent Matthew Perry), a man riddled with disappointment. Through this, Mike has lost touch with his two high school children, Alex O'Donnell (Sterling Knight) and Maggie O'Donnell (Michelle Trachtenberg), and with his marriage to Scarlett O'Donnell (an equally excellent Leslie Mann). The one light in Mike’s crumbling life is Ned (an always enjoyable Thomas Lennon). Now a multimillionaire from computers (the ultimate revenge of the nerd), Ned takes in his broken friend as they try and pick up the pieces. On a trip to pick up his kids from High School (yes, the same one he went to), Mike runs into an old basketball picture of himself. While reminiscing, a mysterious custodian (Brian Doyle-Murray of the jackass boss in Christmas Vacation (1989) fame) appears, asking Mike if he would like to have a second chance at doing it all again, a no-brainer response follows. Later on, in a scene rifted right out of It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Mike is morphed back into his high school body (Efron again) and then the journey begins. Convincing Ned to enroll him into high school, Mike attempts to use his new/old body to learn about and protect his children, as well as reconnect with his wife. The quest, so to speak, makes for moments of obvious humor and Elektra-like awkwardness, but more importantly, it makes for moments of bare honesty for a family in ruins.
If the film is charged with being a mash-up of It's a Wonderful Life and Freaky Friday (2003), it does so in the best way. The film is not so serious that the audience can’t have fun, but it’s also not just a throwaway effort. Director Burr Steers (who helmed 2002’s Igby Goes Down and wrote the screenplay for 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) skillfully weaves the movie’s themes through a narrative that is never stagnant. In addition, Steers gives this genre a run for its money, providing the actors with more to do and expertly handling the movie’s most sensitive element, Efron. What could have easily gone down the path of Can’t Hardly Wait (1998) or even Varsity Blues (1999) instead becomes a film that transcends typical high school flicks with its bi-generational focus, and while Efron may shine, he doesn’t shine alone. Lennon truly steals every scene he’s in, as always, and he pulls off the uber-nerd just as effortlessly as he does the gay cop on Reno 911!. This is especially rewarding when Ned falls for Principal Jane Masterson (an intriguing Melora Hardin). Mann is radiant and endearing, again as always, developing a much more compelling motherly character than she did in Knocked Up (2007), which she was great in as well. That being said, Perry is the film’s secret weapon. Arguably the most flexible and palatable male Friends alum, Perry provides an incredibly honest portrayal of a weathered soul, weary from becoming a father too soon. While his scenes bookend the film, they have the greatest impact and carry the themes home. To compliment this, Efron does a commendable job channeling the Perryisms of his character’s older self, proving his worth as the central character and holding his own amongst the excellent supporting cast. If this continues, Efron is well on his way to breaking his tweeny mold.
In the end, 17 Again probably won’t change your life, but it might surprise you. For those of you who found the resolution in Juno (2007) a little too convenient and light, this will give you all the reasons you need to avoid unplanned pregnancy, but without the indie shtick (if you even care) and without the Judd Apatow toilet humor (because the cast might suggest that). All in all, this film digs deeper than one would guess, and it just plain works. But it also has Efron, so regardless, girls will walk out in love, and guys just might walk out with a man-crush.
3.5/5
S. McSmoke-Smoke
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