Discription
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Summary
The Spectacular Now is a coming-of-age romantic drama that delves into the complex, bittersweet relationship between two high school seniors. It tells the story of Sutter Keely, a charming, popular party guy with a severe, unacknowledged drinking problem who lives entirely in the present, and Aimee Finecky, a quiet, observant, and seemingly sheltered "nice girl" with big dreams for the future. Their unexpected connection forces both characters to confront difficult family realities and the terrifying prospect of life after high school.
Plot
Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) is a charismatic high school senior known for his easygoing nature and his constant companion: a large, hidden flask of whiskey he carries everywhere. He prides himself on living in "the spectacular now" to avoid thinking about the future or his difficult past. When his popular girlfriend, Cassidy (Brie Larson), breaks up with him, a drunken Sutter ends up passed out on a stranger's lawn.
He is woken by Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley), a sweet, nerdy classmate he barely knows, who is completing her mother's paper route. Despite their wildly different social statuses—Sutter is the life of the party, Aimee is an unnoticed outsider—an unexpected connection forms. Sutter is drawn to Aimee's genuine kindness and sees her as a "project" to help her come out of her shell. He invites her into his world, including introducing her to drinking.
As their relationship deepens, Aimee's self-confidence grows, but she is gradually pulled into Sutter's destructive, live-in-the-moment lifestyle and alcoholism. Their bond is cemented by a pact to help each other face their dysfunctional parents: Aimee agrees to confront her neglectful, overbearing mother, and Sutter agrees to find his estranged, idealized father, Tommy Keely (Kyle Chandler).
Sutter takes Aimee with him to meet his father, whom he had always imagined as a successful businessman. The meeting is a crushing disappointment; Tommy is revealed to be an irresponsible, alcoholic drifter who quickly abandons them at a bar. Shattered and emotionally volatile, Sutter pushes Aimee away, convinced he is doomed to become exactly like his father and that he will only drag her down.
Sutter continues his downward spiral, getting fired from his job and missing his college application deadlines. In a devastating argument while driving drunk, he causes a car crash, severely injuring Aimee.
After the accident, Aimee insists the crash was her fault and refuses to let the event destroy her future. She forgives Sutter and moves on to attend college in Philadelphia. Sutter is left alone, forced to finally face his self-sabotage and the truth of his addiction. He writes a powerful college essay about his self-realization but knows it's too late for the current application cycle. The film ends on a note of ambiguous hope as Sutter, now sober, drives to Philadelphia and seeks out Aimee on her college campus, leaving his "spectacular now" behind to tentatively step toward a real future.
Cast
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Miles Teller as Sutter Keely
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Shailene Woodley as Aimee Finecky
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Brie Larson as Cassidy Roy
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Kyle Chandler as Tommy Keely
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Jennifer Jason Leigh as Sara Keely (Sutter's Mother)
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Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Holly Keely (Sutter's Sister)
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Bob Odenkirk as Dan (Cassidy's Boss)
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Andre Royo as Mr. Aster (Sutter's Teacher)
Crew
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Director: James Ponsoldt
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Screenplay by: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (Based on the novel by Tim Tharp)
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Producers: Shawn Levy, Andrew Lauren, Michelle Krumm, Tom McNulty
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Music by: Rob Simonsen
Release Date
August 2, 2013 (United States - Limited)
The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013.
