Review of The Wackness (2008) by Zane U — 29 Jul 2009

It's true the the incessant dialogue-based orientation in the 1990s ("I just want to listen to Boyz II Men when I'm with you.") is cringe-inducing at times, but the Wackness is otherwise solid.

I like that this movie dealt with drugs and sex without really advocating or demonizing. Drug use and sexuality are both partaken by characters in the Wackness with an innocence that downplays their significance.

Indeed, the movie seems to be portraying the vices not as an end or destination in itself, but as a means to an end that can/should be abandoned upon delivery to greener pastures. Essentially, it's this and not the 1990s "mad hipness" that makes this movie "fresh" as a coming of age story.