The best double bill I saw at the cinema was Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion with Grosse Point Blank. I still have the poster I took from the wall at Prince Charles Cinema. Apart from these two film - which I'm guessing will be popular this week - I found it difficult to think of other film with specifically high school reunions.
Don't forget to check out what
Wandering Through the Shelves picked, the blog that started Thursday Movie Picks.
Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion
I think I might have said this already but Romy and Michelle is a film I could literally watch back to back. During Uni my friend and I would ALWAYS watch this film when it was just the two of us and once we did indeed watch it twice in a row. If you don't know the story, its about two ditzy blondes who go to their reunion where they weren't exactly popular. They decide to lie about their lives and claim they invented post-its. Its hilarious as well as just being a great film, full of quote-able lines and memorable outfits and THAT dance routine. Time after time, I'll always come back to this.
Grosse Point Blank
I could say the same about this film too. I will always go back John Cusack's Martain Blank, a hitman who decides to retire. Before he does though, he goes back to his home town and his reunion. He left 10 years previous on Prom Night without a word, breaking the love of his life's heart, Debi, Minnie Driver. As well as being followed by two NSA agents, he also being pursued by Dan Aykroyd's Grocer, another hired gun who wants Blank to join his assassin's union. Great cast, such a typical 90s film and I just love (most) hitman stories and John Cusack.
Young Adult
Ghost writer for a once popular series of book about high school, goes back to her home town for a reunion. She was the Prom Queen and in her mind she is still is. While everyone else has grown up, she hasn't and she thinks she can win back her old boyfriend. It doesn't go well. She is a total bitch and its hard to watch a film where the lead is awful and you can't root for them. Charlize Theron is at her worst here, meaning the character but she does a fantastic job of making us all hate her.
We have a match! I went with YA, too. What a great movie. Haven't seen the other two, sadly.
ReplyDeleteYoung Adult is a good film with two incredible lead performances but it's so bitter I doubt I'd watch it again. Gross Pointe is popular today and while I liked the film it's never been something I held a lot of affection for. I put off giving Romy & Michelle a look for years, it just looked so stupid but once I did I found it to be curiously sweet mostly because of Kudrow and Sorvino.
ReplyDeleteI had some trouble this week coming up with three, eventually watching something I thought would work to come up with a third but that turned out disastrously (see my extra) but then I remembered a documentary that I really like that fit.
Lifeguard (1976)-Lifeguard Rick Carlson (Sam Elliott) loves his work and his laid back Southern California life. But when he attends his 15 year high school reunion he starts to feel he is stuck in a rut. Restarting a romance with his school sweetheart Cathy (Anne Archer), now a divorced mother of a young son, he becomes even more confused about his future.
Prodigal Sons (2008)-Fascinating documentary by Kimberly Reed who returns home for her high school reunion to an uncertain reception…when she left town years earlier she was a man. Looks equally at her interaction with her former classmates and her estranged family, her adopted brother, who has been permanently disabled in a car accident, has a surprise of his own-his birth mother was the daughter of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth! At times very sad but always interesting.
Spring Reunion (1957)-Returning to his hometown to sell his house one-time “Most Likely to Succeed” footloose wanderer Fred Davis (Dana Andrews) has no intention of attending his upcoming 15th year reunion until he runs into successful but lonely real estate agent and the “Most Popular Girl” Maggie Brewster (Betty Hutton), his former girlfriend. As they take tentative steps towards each other their different perspectives might ruin their chance for happiness before they are even sure they have one. Subdued meditation on failed dreams was the troubled Hutton’s last feature film as well as one time silent movie queen Laura La Plante’s final bow, she plays Betty’s mother.
Dishonorable Mention- Back in the Day (2014)-Moderately successful actor Jim Owens (Michael Rosenbaum) returns to Indiana for a high-school reunion. During the course of the time he’s home he acts like an idiot and so do most of his friends doing stupid and outlandish things. I watched this specifically because it seemingly fit this week’s theme so well but it was so moronic I had to list it with a caution and look for another actually good movie.
I chose Romy. And Michele but because I haven't seen it and wanted to know if it's worth seeing. I like your review. I also chose Gross Pointe Blank because of the dark humour but I haven't seen this last film which looks quite good. We know there are people who have never left high school and that was their hey day...sad isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThe only one of these I've seen is Young Adult, it wasn't my favorite Reitman but it's an excellent pick! I had a hard time this week.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't too keen on it, I found it quite depressing but Theron is great in it.
ReplyDeleteIt was hard this week - most of the picks everyone picked it at least once with a few curve balls. YA isn't a favourite of mine either. Theron is great but it gets a bit much watching the story unfold, its quite depressing.
ReplyDeleteGood pick with Young Adult, didn't think of that one myself. I enjoyed both RAM: high School Reunion and Grosse Point Blank - kinda cool to claim you're a hitman at your highschool reunion, right?
ReplyDeleteMyerla
I think that would be really cool. I half wish my school did reunions just to see what everyone is doing and to say that.
ReplyDeleteThe Prodigal Sons doc sounds really good - even though I can expect some nasty reactions to Kimberly it seems very fitting and an excellent journey film. Well done for the other picks too - never heard of these! I do like Sam Elliot so I might look for Lifeguard.
ReplyDeleteThat Romy and Michele gif is money! Love that movie and Grosse Pointe Blank. Never got to Young Adult. Need to check that one out.
ReplyDeleteApparently my friend and I will do this dance at his school reunion if he has one!
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