The Spectacular Now Review
James Ponsoldt's The Spectacular Now is the most authentic depiction of what it means to be a teenager since Cameron Crowe's landmark Say Anything . It's so adept at conveying youthful awkwardness, petulance, and regret, and how every moment in a teenagers life could signify the end of their comfortable world that it could practically incite post traumatic stress memories in those who watch it. The aching and longing at the heart of this bracing work is the kind that informs the rest of a young person's life for better or worse, and it's all done entirely free of cliche or artifice.
