Rated
R (Pervasive Strong Crude and Sexual Content including Graphic Dialogue, Drug and
Alcohol Use, and Language—All involving Teens)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes
Cast-
Aubrey
Plaza-Brandy Klark
Johnny
Simmons-Cameron
Alia
Shawkat-Fiona
Sarah
Steele-Wendy
Rachel
Bilson-Amber Klark
Scott
Porter-Rusty Waters
Bill
Hader-Willy
Donald
Glover-Derrick
Christopher
Mintz-Plasse-Duffy
Andy
Samberg-Van
Adam
Pally-Chip
Connie
Britton-Mrs. Klark
Clark
Gregg-Judge Klark
Jack
McBrayer-Hillcrest Pool Manager
Directed
by Maggie Carey
 |
| If you wanted to learn about sex back in the day, you had to try it out yourself. |
Note: Screened on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at Regal E-Walk Stadium 13.
Since
the genre's rise during the early 1980's, the coming-of-age teen sex comedy has
almost exclusively focused on the men losing their virginity and when they finally
do, it's always treated as a triumphant moment without any repercussions whatsoever.
Things aren't so rosy for the opposite sex; in 1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont
High," Jennifer Jason Leigh's Stacy Hamilton ends up getting pregnant and
is forced to have an abortion. Similarly, Ellen Page's Juno also gets pregnant
in Jason Reitman's 2007 film of the same name but instead of an abortion, she decides
to give the baby up for adoption. Even when the sex is only pretend like in 2010's
"Easy A," Emma Stone's Olive is still ostracized by her classmates due
to her supposedly promiscuous behavior. It creates an uncomfortable double-standard
where men can have all the sex they want without facing the consequences while
women should just not have any sex at all because they'll always be judged or punished
for it. Maggie Carey's directorial debut "The To-Do List" thankfully changes
all that. For once, a female character isn't publically shamed for wanting to have
sex and is even encouraged to do so by both her friends and parents. Nothing trumps
experience as the age-old adage goes. Carey's "The To-Do List" may
feel rough around the edges from a technical standpoint but the film succeeds
in delivering a ribald teen sex comedy that's both genuinely funny and
refreshingly honest, even if it doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel when it
comes to its genre.
Taking
place in Boise, Idaho in 1993, Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza) is a straight-A student
who's graduating high school with top honors. Not only is she the valedictorian
of her class but she's also receiving a full scholarship to Georgetown
University in the fall. To celebrate, Brandy's best friends Fiona (Alia Shawkat)
and Wendy (Sarah Steele) drag her to a kegger, where she encounters the impossibly-hot
Rusty Waters (Scott Porter). Brandy immediately becomes smitten with him but discovers
that she's completely ignorant on all matters of sex due to her sheltered
lifestyle. Following the advice of her experienced older sister Amber (Rachel
Bilson), the over-achiever decides to approach her problem like a school research
project and creates a list of every sexual act she's ever heard of, with the
intention of doing all of them by the end of the summer so that she can finally
lose her virginity to Rusty. With the support of her friends, Brandy dives headfirst
into her sexual journey while also working as a lifeguard at a local swimming pool
run by the perpetually lazy Willy (Bill Hader). As she starts to understand her
sexuality and gain more confidence, Brandy learns that her former lab partner Cameron
(Johnny Simmons) is harboring a secret crush, which complicates her goal of
losing her virginity.
When
I first saw "The To-Do List" way back in April (yes, it's been
screening for that long), director Maggie Carey popped in to say hello before dropping
this bombshell: the inspiration for her new film came from her first hand-job. While
this is definitely a case of 'too much information,' Carey's frank honesty (to a
bunch of strangers sitting in a theater no less) serves as a prime example of
why "The To-Do List" succeeds in the first place: it treats sex in a
way that's true to life but also exaggerated enough so that we can laugh along.
To the uninitiated, the concept of sex amazes just as much as it confuses. Nowadays,
a person can easily look up what a 'rim job' is online but back in 1993, you couldn't
do that. Although it occasionally delves into sight gags involving all manner
of bodily fluids, a lot of the humor is derived from Brandy's complete lack of
experience in sexual matters. She remarks to herself that tea-bagging 'must be
British' and states that getting a pearl necklace sounds 'really elegant.' The
structure of the film doesn't deviate from the established formula seen in
other teen sex comedies but where it differentiates from them is the overall
message in regards to sex. When Brandy embarks on her quest, it's with a mixture
of fear and excitement. However, the more she learns about sex, the more it underwhelms
her. Hell, she describes getting 'finger-banged' as someone digging at an itch
they can't scratch! The end of the film can come off as a little preachy yet
it's conclusion of sex being only a big deal if you make it a big deal is rather
refreshing. Sometimes sex is just sex.
Given
how ubiquitous the internet is today, it was smart of Carey to set the action
in 1993, a few years before the 'World Wide Web' started to enter the public
consciousness. "The To-Do List" is filled with 90's in-jokes from its
shots of cassette tapes and the Mac Color Classic to its references to popular
television shows like "Home Improvement" and "Beverly Hills 90210"
(I fully admit to watching this back in the day because Jennie Garth was hot…and
still is). Even the film's soundtrack is pulled from that decade and includes such
one hit wonders like 2 Live Crew's Me So
Horney (which is played during the opening credits), Naughty by Nature's O.P.P., Mazzy Star's Fade into You, and The Cranberries' Dreams. It's easy for a film like this
to fall into the trap of being too nostalgic but fortunately Carey avoid this,
creating a setting that's true to the era its depicting while also subtly poking
fun at it at the same time. Less successful is Carey's skill behind the camera.
Although she's been working in the industry for over a decade, "The To-Do
List" is her first feature—and it shows. From a technical perspective, it
looks somewhat rough but the main issue is that the film can come off padded at
times and could've benefitted from a few more months in the editing room.
Still, to get so much right on the first try is already impressive in its own
right and that's something that should be praised.
The
cast is another reason the film turned out better than expected. Aubrey Plaza has
been hailed for her snarky, deadpan-styled comedy on NBC's "Parks and Recreation"
and that talent certainly comes in handy in her role as uptight goody two-shoes
Brandy Klark. Who else can say 'I am not a quitter' with a straight face while masturbating
at the same time? What's great about her performance is that Plaza is able to
pull off all the insecurities and confusion of being a teenage girl in a way
that feels funny yet also endearingly sincere despite the fact that she's just
one year shy of turning thirty. The rest of the supporting cast largely plays
stock characters but the actors invest in their roles in small ways that allow
them to shine in the film. Alia Shawkat (from "Arrested Development")
and Sarah Steele share a great rapport with Plaza while Johnny Simmons is
absolutely adorable with his character's puppy-like devotion to Brandy. Even
the parents, played by Connie Britton and Clark Gregg (Coulson lives!), steal
their share of laughs, particularly Gregg with his puritanical views on sex (Not
the back door!). Rachel Bilson is humorously acerbic as older sister Amber and finally,
Bill Hader (also Carey's husband) manages to rise above being a caricature as
one of the few characters that matures along with Brandy.
Originally
set for release on Valentine's Day, "The To-Do List" was pushed back
toward summer before settling on July 26, 2013. Reception has been mixed with 56%
on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that the film had its fair share of laughs
but 'play things disappointingly safe given its rather daring premise.' Playing
in only 591 locations, it's unlikely the film will crack the top ten at the weekend
box office yet it should still make a small profit given its production budget
was only a measly $1.2 million. Although it doesn't redefine the teen sex comedy,
"The To-Do List" manages to mix raunchy laughs and sincere honesty
from a refreshingly female perspective. It's a small film made on a small
budget but it ranks as one of this summer's more pleasant surprises.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
"Freshman
year is like one big sexual pop quiz. You need to do your homework."
Posts
