Screwy Reviewy: Can't Hardly Wait

Pictured Above: The Hard Truth.

I just watched a movie called Can't Hardly Wait, and was surprised by a couple of things. One, how good it is, considering is came from 1998, which I lived through; and had the distinct impression nothing good happened. Second, it represented high school presented in a fairly unique and accurate way.

WARNING: SPOILING YOUR FUN ALERT. WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST, UNLESS YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT LIKE ME.

This movie is set at a party commemorating the end of high school, something I would never be involved with. One character, an italian redhead I'd like to have intercourse with, represents that attitude, initially not wanting to attend. When her friend asks her "what else are you doing tonight?" She has no answer, so she attends. Illustrates the point succinctly.

What's initially great about this movie is there's no hero I can identify. One, a character called "preston meyers", is who I'm supposed to be rooting for, I think. He babbles on about fate and indulges in other magical thinking, finding "signs" and indications he is fated to become an item with jennifer love huge-tits. The only thing I can really relate to is wanting to have sex with a brunette fox, which I want to do at any moment. Other than that he's fairly obnoxious.

But the movie gives equal time to so many other characters you can basically take your pick. Personally I identify with the fire-in-the-hole fox I mentioned, and seth greens character, who is the normal "wigger" character. Only because of his appreciation of black culture and desperate need to get laid; both major themes of my time in high school.

Since this is the last time many of these characters will see each other, the stakes are high. People are doing "what they always wanted to do", consciously or otherwise. And therein lies the drama and comedy.

It was refreshing to see the normal cinematic "high school dynamics" totally absent. By that I mean not everyone was jealous yet enamored by the "popular kids" in particular. There was very little "Us versus them" mentality. With the exception of one character, an x-files nerd. Which hilariously dates the movie, seeing as how nerds have now moved onto video games and energy drinks exclusively. He and his 2 friends have a plot to exact revenge on a jock(example of played out boring shit in movies) Yet when this character gets a couple of beers into his belly, he doesn't give a fuck about anything but being a total beast. Something I can also relate to.

So overall, I felt many characters easy to relate to, and their social interactions as a very accurate(though farcical) representation of high school social life. Seeing as how this movie came from the "deadball" era of comedy movies, and probably everything else, the late 90's, it gets extra points. This gets my rating of download it illegally and enjoy it.