It takes a special kind of director to do what Richard Linklater does in his movies. For over two decades, he’s managed to make the everyday extraordinary. His films often deal with characters going through their day-to-day activities, having in-depth conversations, or simply just hanging out. Of all of these films probably the most iconic has been “Dazed and Confused.” The film is set in 1976 as a flock of high schoolers set out on their first night of summer vacation. There’s no real protagonist as the movie jumps from one click to the next. They smoke, they drink, they hook-up with only the faintest bit of plot to tie it all together.
What’s most important about Linklater’s film is the feel and the energy. These felt like kids you grew up with, like it or not and simply hanging around them was enough to inspire a very special kind of movie magic. Now Linklater has recaptured that feel with “Everybody Wants Some!!” The movie has been advertised as a “spiritual sequel to ‘Dazed and Confused,’” meaning that while the two movies may share different characters, they do in many ways complement each other. Both are celebrations of youth; of the crazy things we do when we are young and the impactful moments that happen when we’re just hanging around with our friends.
Set in the fall of 1980, “Everybody Wants Some!!” follows a young college freshman (Blake Jenner) as he moves into an off campus house occupied by his new baseball teammates. The boys goof off, drink beer and chase girls; all in the carefree haze of unsupervised college fun. Indeed, fun is the best way to describe this movie. Linklater manages to keep an aura of lightness over the whole experience that most directors would shy away from. He’s fine allowing his characters to engage in a bit of quick banter or have a scene where they are riding in a car singing to “Rappers Delight.”
That’s just the kind of movie this is; one that isn’t trying to reach for both the moon and the stars. The stakes may be low here but it only frees the movie up for all kinds of surprises. Characters and moments creep-up on you in humorous, profound and even heartwarming ways. Amidst the partying and debauchery that takes place are some surprisingly thoughtful pieces of dialogue. After all, Linklater is someone who understands that it’s often the most minuscule moments in our lives, the ones where we are simply gathered around a couch, cutting-up with friends that leave the most lasting memories.
In every scene we see a competition. There is very little actual baseball playing, but the competitive drive each player has is clearly seen as they interact. Whether it be ping-pong, picking up girls, or seeing who can slice a baseball in half with an axe, each and every thing these guys do is a competition. That’s who they are. It’s also helpful in a movie like this that each and every one of the characters stands out in their own special way. They all have their own special quirks and blend of humor, which is what made “Dazed and Confused” so iconic when it came out in the ’90s and several of it’s performers have gone on to be big names (Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey).
As I watched “Everybody Wants Some!!,” I wondered, who will be the break out stars of this bunch. Linklater has always had a gift for casting and honing in on an actor’s particular skill set. Here, each of the characters feels like a complete human being that makes an impact long after you’ve left the theater. Their chemistry too is another thing that feels real. Most of these guys are believed to have been teammates and friends for years and that clearly comes across in the way they talk to or tease each other.
Linklater obviously is trying to tap into a part of his youth that has resonated strongly with him. Yet, nothing about this film feels overly nostalgic in any way. None of the clothes, music cues or pronstaches worn by the players is played as cheeky or something to laugh at. This is simply just Linklater recalling, in detail, the period at which he was that age and trying to re-create the feeling he had at that time in his life.
As someone entering the final stage of their college experience, this is a movie that already feels tapped into a certain kind of feeling that resonates strongly. I’ve been at that moment where you’re free of your parents and a plethora of experiences seem at your fingertips. I’ve experienced the surprisingly magical twists and turns that come with a night of kicking back with a close group of friends without a care in the world. This might be the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year. It’s incredibly funny and deeply intelligent in it’s mix of both high and low brow themes that captures the spirit of being young and wild in your early 20s.
4.5/5
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures