EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!

US, 2016, 117 minutes, Colour.
Blake Jenner, Zoe Deutch.
Directed by Richard Linklater.

Part of the attraction for going to see this film is that it was written and directed by Richard Linklater. Many appreciated his slacker films in the early 1990s, especially Dazed and Confused. But, many remember his cap before Sunset, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight series with his portrait of a man and woman over almost 20 years, and the strength of the dialogue in their conversations. His range has been particularly strong, some social dramas, the interesting portion of Bernie, and the animation of A Scanner Darkly and the philosophical-theological hundred minutes of existential and metaphysical reflections in Waking Life.

This film is almost the opposite of Waking Life. After completing Boyhood, the film he made over a period of 12 years, he has returned to his own memories of his past, college days.

One reviewer said that to enjoy this film you needed to have been there – and, after viewing the film, that is absolutely right. Otherwise, especially if the characters and their behaviour do not arouse interest, this film can be something of an endurance.

It takes place over the three days before the opening of school at the end of August 1980. Plot -wise, not a great deal happens. We are drawn into the film with Jake (Blake Jenner) a freshman with a baseball scholarship. Even though he is not yet 20, he looks the All-American? type – as do a number of the other jocks whom he meets at their dilapidated house. He is quite outgoing and despite the rather initial off-hand reception, he easily makes friends. Actually, on his first day at college, off they all go to a bar, plenty of noise, plenty of music, plenty of drinking, plenty of girls, plenty of dancing…

As a group of them cruise the parking lot, they are attracted to girls who snap at them – although one of them, Beverly (Zoe Deutch) has a shot at the others by praising Jake, quiet in the backseat. This will have good consequences when Jake leaves flowers at her door, when she phones, when they go out and talk, when he goes to a party at the arts-dance student house where she lives. In fact, Beverly is the only female character in the film – Although there are other females around but they are for the men and for the camera to ogle. There are some moments of dialogue about objectification.

On the Sunday, all the baseball players assemble for practice – which does give a bit more interest to the plot in terms of pitching, batting, fielding as well as some locker room pranks.

Some commentators have linked it to National Lampoons Animal House of 1978. There may be some resemblance but this one is far, far milder, a bit more humane even though the whole atmosphere is particularly, as Australians would say, blokey.

1. In memory of the 1980s? College? Southeast Texas?

2. The films of Richard Linklater? The beginnings with slacker comedies, his expansion into witty comedies and dramas? The philosophy of Waking Life? Remembering his own younger days?

3. The three-day setting, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and the beginning of classes on Monday?

4. The college setting, South-eastern Texas, the house or the jocks, falling apart, the clubs and bars, the locker room and the baseball field, the party for the arts students? The ending with the lecture room?

5. The range of songs from the period, atmosphere?

6. The focus on Blake, his background high school, baseball champion, coming to college, his age, manner, car, getting to the house, meeting the odd characters? Their taking to him? Going out, driving, seeing the girls, getting Beverly’s room number, the parties, the jocks and their behaviour, conversation, language, the drinking, the girls? The phone
call from Beverly, the bonding, going to see her? The baseball play, Jake as a pitcher, interactions with the other members of the team? Their being taped to the wall and the team hitting them with the baseballs? The interaction with the other jocks, being persuaded to invite them to the party, everybody going, Jake agreeing to go into the Alice in Wonderland role play, the swim with Beverly, talking, having a rest before going to class, the wave goodbye? The taunts of Finn and the others? The professor coming in, his writing comments about frontiers on the board, Jake nodding off, smiling? His future?

7. A Jock film, the focus on men, the range of characters, the blokey talk, jokes, pranks, ambitions, forbidden to have alcohol in the house, girls upstairs – a signal for them to disobey? The sexist attitudes of the period? Objectifying the girls? Finn and the other characters, Dale and his being African- American?

8. Dale and his being singular as the African -American? The only other black man the receptionist at the club?

9. Beverly as the only female character, the two girls being chatted up, a comment favouring the quiet one in the back seat, Jake leaving the flowers, the phone call, her explanation of her past, at school, arts and dance, ambitions for New York? At the party, who ruled playing as Alice in Wonderland? The evening with Jake at the pool? Getting ready for class?

10. The other girls in the film, targets for the jocks, objectified?

11. The baseball, the coach, his warnings, the men assembling, the locker room pranks, especially for the country boy, his awkwardness, not giving the room to Blake, the comment about his girlfriend being pregnant? His becoming one with the group?

12. A film for the male audience which can identify with the characters, college, the sport? And those who were there at the time?