`Kicking and Screaming' drags viewer into real life
Kicking and Screaming , 25-year-old Noah Baumbach's impressive debut film, explores the struggle of four college graduates as they -- kicking and screaming -- enter the dreaded "real world." The 22-year-old men undergo pre-life crises as they try to let go of their college identities.
With enough emotional baggage to fill a 747, this coterie feels unprepared to enter the adult world. Grover (Josh Hamilton) tries to justify letting go of the best thing that ever happened to him, Max (Chris Eigeman) reminisces about events before they happen, and Otis (Carlos Jacott) can't quite make it to mechanical engineering graduate school in another time zone. Skippy (Jason Wiles) clings desperately to his college routine by enrolling in classes.
The film begins at the heroes' graduation party. The supposed night of celebration is a time of painful reflection. Over many drinks, Max says, "Eight hours ago, I was Max, college student, English major. Now I'm nothing." His pathos resonates with anyone facing graduation and all it brings.
The romantic comedy follows the friends over the next six months as they negotiate their paths in the outside world -- an inhospitable world where a second interview is required for a job at Video World. At the same time, they know they can never go back -- that "going back is like doing Hollywood Squares." They're trapped in a torturous state of limbo. No wonder Max hides behind his crossword puzzles and Grover lets freshmen women seduce him.
Here they are, on the brink of adulthood, with so many "possibilities" laid out before them, and they just want it to be over. Max wishes they were going to war or retiring.
The movie also includes a love story, which interweaves flashbacks of Grover's relationship with his girlfriend, Jane. The poignant tale alters the present and makes Grover's struggle that much more difficult. The memories of carefree times also lighten the weight of the central plot.
If these guys were 20 years older, their paralysis would be pathetic. But at 22, their neuroses and insecurities seem charming. Writer-director Baumbach explains, "For me, Kicking and Screaming is not a movie about doing nothing but about the surreptitious preparation to do something."
The film succeeds in conveying the emotions and uncertainties of graduates who "shoot for the stars but hit the roof." Baumbach's script comes across as an utterly believable portrait of life in critical crossroads. Shedding light on small issues, he explores the transition with humor and compassion. Conversations resonate with the anxieties that real-life college graduates encounter. Even better, Kicking and Screaming' s precise and subtle dialogue articulates the concerns that we face but can't always name.
The actors capture their characters' pathos remarkably well. All four leads manage to convey the desperation that overwhelms graduates. It's easy to forget that they're actors and not really suffering through the transition from college to whatever comes next.
Another of Kicking and Screaming 's strong points lies in its formidable female characters. Kudos to Baumbach for portraying strong women who refuse to wait for the men in their lives to figure everything out. Jane confounds Grover by accepting a grant to study in Prague. Seventeen-year-old Kate (Cara Buono) charms the graduates with her youthful bluntness. Gutsy Miami (Parker Posey) confronts her own demons.
Rounding out the strong cast is Eric Stolz, who as Chet is absolutely wonderful. Chet, the 30-year-old bartender, has been in school for ten years and serves as both a comfort and warning to his younger friends. He too was putting off his life; then he realized that his procrastination was his life. He asks, "How do you make God laugh? Make a plan." The perennial student may be somewhat wiser, but he still grapples with the same dilemmas.
One complaint with the film is that nothing gets resolved. When the credits roll, no one has a real job, Grover still doesn't know how he feels about Jane and the "real world" hasn't become any more accessible. But at least those of us struggling with our own pre-life crises can be comforted by the knowledge that we are not alone.
Anyone who is stressing about graduation this year, or will graduate anytime soon or who knows anyone graduating must see Kicking and Screaming , which will be showing at the River Oaks Theatre, located at 2009 West Gray. Call 524-2175 for times.
This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the December 1, 1995 issue.
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