THE SPECTACULAR NOW
US, 2013, 97 minutes, Colour.
Miles Teller, Shaileene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Directed by James Ponsoldt.
The opening of The Spectacular Now shows us the central character, Sutter (Miles Teller) at his computer, typing an essay on something that was hard and challenging in his life as part of his application for college. He recounts his exploits of the night before, with flashbacks indicating to the audience something of his character, his partying, his relationship with Cassidy (Brie Larsen) the glamorous blonde beauty of the class. He also starts to tell something of the truth about himself but deletes the letter.
As the film takes as into those high school parties, loud, dancing, drink… teenagers and young adults may get excited by this, while older audiences may slip back into their seats and wonder what they are going to be asked to endure. However, the film does improve both for its target audience as well as for those who may not be drawn into it immediately.
Sutter is 18, in the final year at school, not particularly interested in classes, full of wisecracks, considered something of a clown by others at the school. At this stage we are not sure that he has anything more to his character.
The Spectacular Now obviously means living to the full in the present, relishing it, glorying in it. At least, this seems to be the philosophy of Sutter. But Sutter, living in the now or in the immediate past, partying, drinking, trying to make an impression on his girlfriend, Cassidy, and generally failing.
As with so many films, all films really, we need to wait until the end to see how the situation develops and whether it resolves itself. This is particularly the case with The Spectacular Now.
The film is Sutter’s story. He lives with his mother, separated from her husband, working on night shifts in a hospital. This gives Sutter plenty of time to indulge himself, with Cassidy, with his best friend whom he is trying to set up with a girl, making wisecracks which he discovers later make him seem like a clown to his fellow-students. And he drinks, often and strongly, with his concealed flask. What is to happen to Sutter, especially as he deletes the application for college?
The main crisis of the film is Sutter, drunk, disappointed, driving home and crashing his car, and waking up at 6.00 am with a fellow-student looking down at him on her lawn. She is Aimee (an impressive performance from Shailene Woodley, a rather unprepossessing young woman, dominated by her mother, even to doing her mother’s paper delivery route. But, Sutter and Aimee unexpectedly click. She falls for him, he is comfortable in her company but does not see it as a loving relationship.
It is interesting to see the development in Sutter despite himself, becoming a more normal person, not just simply joking around, but really interested in keeping Aimee company. But he doesn’t stop drinking, actually enticing Aimee herself to start drinking.
He is challenged by a lecturer to improve his geometry studies, and he asks Aimee to tutor him. This gives them the opportunity to be together, for him to learn something about her (a love of reading graphic novels, for instance) and for him to be more himself.
He has never known his father and his mother will not give him address or phone number to make contact. He dares Aimee to stand up to her mother (using language she never would have dreamt she would use) and she dares him to find out about his father. Eventually he does and asks her to go with him, an experience that he has been looking forward to but which, inevitably, ends in disappointment and anger. And he also asks Aimee to go to the prom with him. He becomes a changed young man, even when, in times of retrenchment, his boss wants him to stay on with his part-time job, asking him to give up drinking; he is honest enough to say that he cannot.
There is a strong scene towards the end when he begins to talk honestly with his mother and she talks honestly with him, not reprimanding him, but pointing out all his good qualities which he covers with his low self-image.
The film is clearly a moral fable, especially about being one’s true and genuine self, not setting up a facade image, as well as in developing a sense of responsibility – and knowing that there can be a spectacular now another tomorrow, the next day, and…
1. Acclaim for the film? The target audience: teenagers and young adults? Impact for middle-aged audiences? Older audiences? Parents?
2. The title, Sutter and his philosophy of living in the present, his later discovery of the importance of the now and living it fully, with many nows to come?
3. The film is a moral fable? Sutter and his life, experiences, low self-image, change, maturity? Issues of responsibility and life?
4. The opening, Sutter typing the letter, to the dean, the topic of the essay, something hard and challenging in life, his writing about the night before, his relationship with Cassidy, his experiences and disappointment? Deleting?
5. The introduction to Sutter, his age, at high school, his life of partying, his wisecracks, confiding in his friend, wanting to fix him up with the girl, his relationship with Cassidy, her glamour, she seeing him as a friend, the sexual encounters, her lack of commitment to him? Her boyfriend, the jock in the high school, the attack? His reaction? Prospects?
6. Sutter’s mother, a hard woman, asking him to do things in the house, her work as a nurse, the many shifts, her attitude towards her husband, Sutter sometimes like him, not allowing him to contact his father?
7. Sutter’s sister, her marriage, wealthy husband, success, not having to do any work, her pampered life and her dissatisfaction? The meal, the discussions with Sutter and Aimee, her giving her brother their father’s address, the end and the family having a meal together?
8. Sutter, his drinking, continually, his flask, at work, his boss confronting him, having to sack him unless he reformed, his saying that he could not change, his honesty?
9. The night out, driving the car, recklessly? The police watching him? Collapsed on the lawn, Aimee and her approach? the paper route, her mother and Aimee doing it for her mother? His help, throwing the papers, his good arm?
10. The teacher, calling him to task about his attitudes, geometry? The classes? Papers and grades? Sutter later confronting the teacher, asking whether he was happy in his life? The hesitation?
11. Aimee, her reading, the graphic novels, at the party later and the bond with the man discussing these with her? Her knowing geometry? Willing to tutor Sutter? Their being together, comfortable together? The school corridors? The constant comment by Sutter’s friend?
12. The genuine love, gradually falling in love but Sutter’s not knowing it, enjoying her company, talking with her?
13. The school jock, his approaching Sutter in the shop, Sutter giving him good advice?
14. Daring Aimee to confront her mother, to go to college, giving her the swearing facilities to do this? Aimee reporting that she had done it?
15. Sutter, not confronting his mother, Aimee daring him? Asking his mother for his father’s address, his sister, giving the phone number, the phone call, the invitation, his taking Aimee with him? Finding his father, his character, the woman giving him looks in the bar, his friends in the bar, his drinking, talk? Talking with his son? About the marriage, in love, infidelity, not being proud, his decision to leave? His memories and Sutter’s memories? Throwing ball? Childhood? His asking them to wait for an hour? Not coming back, their seeing him in the bar? Leaving?
16. Sutter, his driving, his anger? Aimee and the crash, his arguing, her concern about him, his irritation, her getting out of the car, being hit, in hospital?
17. With Aimee, inviting her to the prom, the drinking on the way, his suit, her dress, his seeing Cassidy at the dance, dancing with her?
18. His decision not to graduate? The transition to the graduation ceremony, Cassidy coming to him, her talk, the bond between them, his being her best ex-boyfriend?
19. Aimee, the gift of the flask? Going to college, Sutter encouraging her, not going to the bus to see her off, awaiting, his watching?
20. Sutter and his mother, the confrontation, the strong talk, saying he was lovable and kind, getting to look at his own self-image?
21. His taking stock, writing a new letter to the dean, going to the university to meet Aimee?
22. The final moralising, love, being true oneself, responsibility, and the spectacular now? And future nows?
