boyhood

Retronalysis: ‘Dazed and Confused’ Ruined Teen Comedies in the Best Way Possible

dazed and confused

Before there was boyhood, Richard Linklater was dazed and confused, transplanting his own experiences as an angsty teenager growing up in 1976 onto the big screen.

So what works in Dazed in Confused has a lot more to do with Linklater himself than the admirable cast, as it was the 90s comedy that undermined all of the others that came after it (peaking at Can’t Hardly Wait and perhaps Not Another Teen Movie). Dazed dashed the plot heavy drama-fests of the 80s and replaced them with a heart even Breakfast Club would fist bump, cementing itself as one of the first true cult classics of its decade.

That’s not to say people were ready for this movie in 1993. Though it captures many of the typical aesthetics that accompanied teen comedies at the time, Dazed approached both the spiritual highs and lows of being a kid during that era, or any era if you grew up with a good taste in music and loved to wander around without a GPS.

The film centers around a group of seniors on their last day of high school; going to parties, pool halls, and overall just getting into trouble. The movie addresses the fact that while these many teenagers we see engage in obvious behavior (sex, drugs, and rock and roll), not much of what they say or do actually means anything.

dazed and confused

And most of them seem to honestly get that. It’s one of the most honest coming of age films of all time, if only for addressing just how empty adolescence can feel when you’re trying to reflect back on it, putting your hopes and wishes onto the relationships that were either forced by proximity or brought on by a mixture of hormones and chemical substances.

…if I ever say these were the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself.

– Pink

Rather than place the weight of its characterization on massive set pieces, such as a sudden tragedy, failed romance, or name your trope, Dazed hedged its emotion on small moments of dialogue between relatable characters. Is it any wonder that a 90s stoner movie centered around 70s in-jokes strikes a chord with everyone else?

Amidst all of its disheartening observations on life is some fun, though. The humor of Dazed is competent enough to lend weight to its softer touches. Wooderson (played by a young Matthew McConaughey), is probably the film’s most humorous character, while also the most pathetic — being a guy in his 20s who still hangs out with high schoolers.

He’s also one of the few characters who doesn’t go through his own rite of passage (and for good reason). Throughout the film, we observe how each character either wins or loses based on some arbitrary contests that range from freshmen hazing to full-on brawls. Wooderson is the only character who sees through their prideful bragging. As a surrogate for Linklater himself, Wooderson understands how always wanting what’s next (more girls, leaving high school, etc.) is almost as unsatisfying as actually getting it.

Grade: A-

Everybody Wants Some, Richard Linklater’s spiritual successor to Dazed and Confused, opens in limited release this weekend. It’s set in Austin, Texas like Dazed, but this time focusing on college students in the early 80s. It will hit wide release on April 15th.

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The 10 Movies That Made 2014 Incredible

I don’t usually do “top lists” for movies because, well, who cares what I think? So, instead I made a list of the “best” highlights of 2014.

As usual, I watched plenty of movies this year, but I didn’t see all of them. If there’s a movie missing from this list (or just something about movies in 2014 that you loved), don’t hesitate to share in the comments!

 

#10 The One I Love

the one i love

Mad Men‘s Elizabeth Moss was in a movie with The League’s Mark Duplass this year. But unless you regularly scroll through your Netflix queue (like I do), you probably missed The One I Love, which was one of 2014’s most inventive, and unsettling, films.

It’s hard to describe the movie without spoiling it, but I will say that it’s a dark romantic science fiction comedy (sorry for being so vague) centering around a couple trying to make their marriage work during a weekend getaway.

The movie wins this spot on my list (from Reese Witherspoon’s incredible performance in Wild) simply for being one of the few movies in recent memory to actually make me think critically about relationships and love. In a way that I probably never would have.

This one was 2014’s BEST romantic anything.

 

#9 Captain America: The Winter Soldier

captain america winter soldier

This is the superhero movie that made superhero movies cool again. And with Captain America, no less.

TWS wasn’t just an excellent sequel, it was one of Marvel’s strongest films period, even compared to The Avengers.

It was the perfect film to kick off what turned out to be a fun summer for movies, and it was the first case study of how Marvel can nail just about any genre with their capes.

2014’s BEST hero.

 

#8 Nightcrawler

nightcrawler

Imagine my surprise when this low-profile Jake Gyllenhaal movie about filming crime scenes in LA turned out to be one of the best films in Gyllenhaal’s already incredible career.

I still hold Lou Bloom as Gyllenhaal’s best role yet, and it was easily one of 2014’s most memorable characters.

2014’s BEST car chase.

 

#7 The Imitation Game

imitation game

This isn’t a perfect movie by any means. I think Keira Knightley was miscasted (her final, excellent scene notwithstanding), and parts of the script dragged on. When the credits rolled, I didn’t feel like I knew enough about Alan Turing, though I think that’s the point.

Still, Benedict Cumberbatch did a fantastic job as the genius who invented the first computer, only to be shunned for his private life. The Imitation Game had the most teary ending of any of the movies on this list, and the end still gives me chills when I start to think about it.

Sorry Fury, this was the BEST WWII movie of the year (that I saw, anyway).

 

#6  Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer

A post-apocalyptic science fiction movie about trains? Sheldon Cooper would be proud.

Easily the best sic-fi movie of the year (and there were tons of other great sci-fi movies this year), and I’m really shocked that Chris Evans managed to be in two movies on this list. Never thought I’d see the day circa 2007.

Snowpiercer brings back the overused post-apocalyptic premise that audiences declared “stale” back in, I don’t know, 2012, I guess. It also recycles the familiar rich vs. poor/revolution message that sci-fi has been throwing at us since before my parents watched movies.

Despite this, Snowpiercer was almost impossible not to like. The action, cinematography, and overall tension of watching abused survivors fight their way up the last train on Earth is one of the best ways you can spend a weekend.

And yes, it has the BEST twist ending of 2014.

 

#5 Guardians of the Galaxy

guardians of the galaxy

If Captain America made superhero movies cool again, then Guardians of the Galaxy is the movie that made space operas cool again. And I can’t think of a better way for Disney to tell us a year early that they can handle Star Wars.

This was one of the biggest movies of the year (the biggest in the U.S. for sure), and for good reason. It was funny, the characters were lovable, and the action was on-point.

BEST soundtrack, by the way.

 

#4 How to Train Your Dragon 2

how to train your dragon 2

The subtitle for this movie should really be: Don’t worry Pixar fans! We’ll make a great animated movie for you while you wait for the next Pixar movie in 2015!

This was my favorite animated movie of the year (sorry Big Hero 6. You were a lot of fun, but DRAGONS), and I would even say it’s neck and neck with Captain America for the year’s best sequel.

BEST animation of 2014.

 

#3 Boyhood

boyhood

I watched Boyhood on a plane to Florida recently, and I noticed two important things about the movie: it’s my childhood, but in movie format — I couldn’t stop watching.

A lot of people give Boyhood flack for being a bit of a “gimmick” movie. Its main selling point is that it’s one of the most ambitious films of all time, in that it filmed the same boy (and other actors) for over 12 years. We literally watch him grow up onscreen.

But honestly, that’s not what makes the movie great. Strangely, the movie’s lack of narrative worked for me, and I normally hate mosaics (think Tree of Life or anything else by Terrence Malick). In a way, the boy’s life is the story, which made me connect with Boyhood in a way I don’t think I’ve ever connected with a fictional character.

This one had the BEST script of 2014.

 

#2 Gone Girl

gone girl

Like Boyhood, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen as I watched the movie where even the twists have twists.

Gone Girl is filet mignon. It’s a movie that just gets everything right and cooks it perfectly. The pacing, acting, story, dialogue, and even Ben Affleck are executed brilliantly in this creepy thriller about a man whose wife goes missing.

In my opinion, the BEST story of 2014.

 

#1 Whiplash

whiplash

It’s tragic that this movie hasn’t reached a broader audience yet, but I’m really hoping it will as we enter the new year. Featuring Miles Teller (the future Mr. Fantastic) and J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson and TENZIN), Whiplash is the chaotic tale of how obsession separates ordinary people from legends.

But the real draw of the movie was watching Simmons play the brutal Jazz instructor, Fletcher. His character was the most memorable villain of 2014, I think, and his terrorizing teaching tactics were a real thrill to watch.

And of course, if you’ve seen the movie already, you know that it has the BEST ending of 2014.

whiplash

 

But these aren’t the only movies that made 2014 such a great year for movies. Here are some other standouts:

BEST Cinematography: Birdman

BEST Wit and Humor: Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST Premise: The LEGO Movie

lego movie

BEST Biopic: Selma

BEST New Character: Baymax (Big Hero 6)

BEST Onscreen Pair: The Skeleton Twins

BEST Prequel: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

BEST Special Effects: Interstellar

BEST Actress: Reese Witherspoon in Wild

BEST Action: The Edge of Tomorrow

BEST New Universe: John Wick

BEST Use of Michael Fassbender: Frank

frank

 

Have a great 2015!