Do you like fried chicken? I do. It's just good.
And I'm not talking about KFC. I'm talking about old-fashioned, home-made fried chicken. Add some mashed potatoes and gravy, and you've got a great meal.
That has nothing to do with what I'm talking about today.
Today, I talk about yesterday. Remember yesterday? It was a Sunday.
Sunday... and Movie Day.
I know what you're thinking: "But I thought Saturday was Movie Day? Isn't that what you called yesterday's two-part rambling blog entry?" You're not wrong.
Sure, Saturday was movie day. But Saturday ended, and Sunday began. And on Sunday, I returned to my local cinema with my brother to watch "Youth In Revolt". So... Movie Day 2? Nah. I guess I could just call it "Movie Weekend".
Either way, I saw "Youth In Revolt". With my brother.
Maybe I should just get on with the story.
The day began with a journey to the cinema. My brother was keen on seeing "Youth In Revolt", as I'm sure you're already aware, so we bought our tickets and found our seats.
I have never read the novel upon which the film is based. Truth be told, I had never even heard of the novel before I scrutinized the theatrical poster and realized that the film was, in fact, based on a novel.
I understand that the novel is beloved in some circles. I'm sure the folks who love the novel will have many problems with the film, as is always the case with book-to-film adaptations. I know this all to well.
Example: "Christmas With The Kranks". Yeah, I know.
I'm not a big John Grisham fan. I just never got into his legal thriller sub-genre. But my mother bought the John Grisham book "Skipping Christmas" as a gift for me some years ago. I was a little hesitant to read it, but eventually I got bored and decided to give it a shot.
I won't defend the book as some work of genius, because it's not. But I must say, I very much enjoyed the story. If you don't know the story of "Skipping Christmas", here's a quick synopsis:
After their daughter leaves for the Peace Corps or some shit, Luther and Nora Krank decide to... Skip Christmas... and go on a nice tropical cruise. Their creepy, gentrified neighborhood is pretty into Christmas, and so these pod people give the Kranks a hard time. But Luther and his bride stick to their guns and ready themselves for their non-Christmas vacation.
Unfortunately, their hippie daughter decides she wants to come home for Christmas... with her new fiance. She's so excited about showing her Peruviaan paramour a real American Christmas. Selfish brat. So now, Luther and Nora have to organize a big Christmas blow-out at the 11th hour, all to please their dear daughter.
It's hokey, but I really enjoyed it. Maybe I'm just a sucker for holiday stories. I mean, I really enjoy "Santa Claus: The Movie". John Lithgow is great in that movie. "Christmas 2!" Gets me every time.
Anyway, when I heard "Skipping Christmas" was being made into a movie, I was a little excited, I suppose. I thought it would be pretty difficult to fuck up the book's rather simple story.
Boy, was I wrong. Director Joe Roth, Screenwriter Chris "Nine Months" Columbus, and Tim Allen all came together to turn a lovely confection of a book into a slap-sticky, humor-less nightmare of a movie, called "Christmas With The Kranks".
Grisham wept.
So I know the pain of a bad adaptation. An odd, and somewhat lengthy diversion, but I feel a necessary one.
"Youth In Revolt"... damn funny movie.
Michael Cera is fantastic in his dual role as awkward, nerdy pushover Nick Twisp and vulgar, empowered delinquent Francois Dillinger. The way he plays Dillinger, with the wispy, pubic hair moustache and icy blue eyes, all self-assured swagger... he's hilarious.
"I want to tickle your belly button from the inside", and "I want to wrap your legs around my head and wear you like the crown you are" are lines that kept me laughing like a maniac. It's all in the delivery, and Cera's delivery is great.
The rest of the cast did a fine job. It was nice seeing M. Emmet Walsh again. He keeps showing up to remind me that he's not dead, and I welcome the reminder.
I was very surprised by Adhir Kalyan as Vijay. He just popped up midway in the film with his sophisticated accent and made me laugh.
The sequence where Nick and Vijay go to visit Nick's dream girl Sheeni and her loose friend Taggarty at a French Prep School was a highlight. Nick wandering around, asking everyone he sees if they know where Sheeni is, growing increasingly irritable as everybody responds to him in French... priceless.
"Speak English to me" is such an innocuous-looking line, but the way Cera delivered that line... I can't remember the last time I laughed that much.
Justin Long didn't annoy me. Steve Buscemi made out with a hot young woman in a bikini, which I didn't need to see. Jean Smart looked attractive, which I didn't think was possible.
And hey! Ray Liotta!
I didn't really have any problems with the film. I was entertained from beginning to end. The odd animated interstitial bits were quaint.
I recommend "Youth In Revolt".
Now I guess I need to read the book.
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