The Spectacular Now (2013)
A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."
-IMDb
The character Sutter Keeley (Miles Teller) is a popular high school senior who always lives in the now. He has poor grades and no plans for the future. He spends majority of his time drinking and attending parties. His long-term girlfriend dumps him because he is unable to admit his excessive drinking as a form of alcoholism and that he has a lack of ambition to do anything in life. Sutter seeks out tutoring from a girl named Aimee and she helps him realize that there are more important things in life besides living in the moment. As Sutter and Aimee grow close to each other, Sutter see's how rough of a family life she has at home, and does everything he can to try to make Aimee have something worth-while in her life. The two go to visit Sutters father, who he has been detached from his whole life. When he visits and speaks with him for awhile Sutter and Aimee realize why his father is not a part of the family anymore. He is an alcoholic and would rather flirt with the girl at the bar than speak to his own son and son's girlfriend (Aimee). He tells the two he has to give the girl a ride home because she had too much to drink, but they could take his car and wait for him back home. They waited for many hours and he never came. The two drove all this way to see him and were very disappointed in his actions. From that day on, Sutter committed himself to become a more mature and responsible individual.
"The Spectacular Now" is a coming-of-age film just like "Dirty Dancing". Sutter begins to realize there are more important aspects of life, such as going to college to earn a well paying job for the future. Thanks to Aimee, Sutter realizes he wants to be able to provide for and support his future family someday, rather than struggling with bills and being there for his children because he didn't go to college or continued to keep his drinking habits. He wised up and became an adult thanks to Aimee. Aimee believed in Sutter and that he could change his life for the better, just as Baby wised up realizing there was more to life than trying to save the world, or run to daddy for help.
Baby grew to become a stronger individual as she started to feel her own emotions and help people around her that she cared for even if they weren't from the same class as her. Social status didn't matter to Baby. That summer when she met a different group of people who were kind people that worked very hard to get by in life. Baby was determined to make a difference in the entertainment member's lives and in return they made a difference in her life. Baby took risks for people she barely new; she helped Penny get an abortion and Johnny with dance routine.
When Neil came in the studio and talked down to Johnny, not even allowing him to share his ideas, Baby told Johnny that Neil is just a person like everyone else, he should've spoken up to him and told him his ideas. Johnny knew he couldn't have done that or else his job would be in danger. Johnny told Baby that she just doesn't understand. I don't think Baby understood how it was either. Coming from a higher class she doesn't experience how some of her same people talk down to lower class individuals. Johnny reverses the rolls and gives Baby a lecture on fighting harder. "I don't see you fighting so hard, running up to your daddy and telling him, 'I'm your guy'." Baby responds, " I will tell my father. It's complicated. I will tell him." "I don't believe you Baby. I don't think you ever had any intention of telling him ever."
Baby ends up standing up to her father.
"You told me everyone was alike and deserved a fair break, but you meant everyone who was like you. You told me you wanted me to change the world but you meant by becoming a lawyer or an economist by marrying someone from Harvard. I'm not proud of myself but I'm in this family too and you can't keep giving me the silent treatment.There are a lot of things about me that aren't what you thought but if you love me you have to love all the things about me. I love you. I'm sorry I let you down. I'm so sorry daddy, but you let me down too."Johnny tried standing up to Baby's father but he gets shut down. However he does stand up to all the guests at Kellerman's at the final show. Even though he was fired, he returns for one last word and a final dance.
"I always do the last dance of the season. This year somebody told me not to. So I'm going to do my kind of dancing with a great partner, whose not only a terrific dancer, but somebody whose taught me that are are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them. Somebody whose taught me about the kind of person I want to be."Both Johnny and Baby made a difference impacting not only their own life and views but others as well. Those around them were impacted on how they should treat others and how they should go after what makes them a happier and stronger human being. These two characters showed courage and a sense of maturity fighting for self-worth, and a sense of equality within a community.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
A 13 year old girl plays a game on her 13th birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30 year old woman.
-IMDb
In this film a 13 year old girl named Jenna is an unpopular girl who wishes she could be a part of this clique at school. She is desperate to do anything it takes as she wants to fit in. She has this dream of being 30. In a fashion magazine she runs across a heading, "Thirty, flirty, and thriving" and she wishes to become 30. She wakes up the next day and her wish became a reality. Clueless and totally innocent, she is not prepared to be that age and hold so many responsibilities. As she was a very high end fashion editor in a magazine she discovered she wasn't very nice to others who worked under her. Jenna starts to notice how people fear her and she wishes to change her ways and be nicer to those around her. Jenna wants her dorky friend Matty back in her life since we was kind to her and a true friend. As much as Jenna wanted to be popular as a teenager, she grew up to realize that if being popular meant being mean to others and talking down to them, that she didn't want to partake in that label. Baby does the something similar in Dirty Dancing. She goes out of her social class norms and reaches out to those who are not as privileged as her to help them out. Baby realizes there is more to life than having money and fixing things. Baby discovers the importance of relationships and the power of close bonds with others to have them notice how special each of them are and what they are all capable of doing regardless of social class.
Here are some other movies that are considered 'coming-of-age' movies as they all have a variety of individuals that come from different classes, and in the end all come together realizing that they aren't so different and don't have to act so rude to others. Being nice all around makes more people like you and well accepted as a human being.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Mean Girls (2004)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Work Cited:
"The Spectacular Now." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
"13 Going on 30." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
"The Devil Wears Prada." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
"Mean Girls." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
"The Breakfast Club." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 May 2014.
This topic is one that I also wrote about and I agree with your analysis. The way that Baby became Frances showed this coming of age theme and it is one that is seen in many different movies. I did my analysis on the movie The Sandlot and in there it is the same theme too. A young boy moves to a town where at first he has no friends and really no intentions of doing anything outside. He has a nice set up in his room with this contraption he made for a ball to roll down--it shows off his smart side more than I can explain. But point being, after a while he meets a friend who invites him to play baseball and through this he starts to forget about his education side-- for now because it is the summer-- because of a newly found hobby which is baseball. This is very alike Dirty Dancing where she goes to summer camp and we see her reading a book and very soon she lets go of her book and begins dancing.
ReplyDeleteYes, I read yours about the Sandlot. I thought it was also a good connection. I ran across that film when I searched for movies to connection to Dirty Dancing. That film is very fitting for you. Good pick Spenc.
DeleteI really like how you related this movie to 13 Going on 30. I didn't even think of this movie before I saw you included it in your blog! I can definitely see how this is a coming of age movie and can see the similarities between this and Dirty Dancing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jennifer. I thought it was a great film because of the different classes as well as the title of the movie in general how it talks about age. Many similarities!
DeleteI think another movie that could be "Coming of Age" is The Notebook. It had the same aspect of class difference between Allie and Noah like Baby and Johnny, and in the end both fought for and stood up for who they loved..
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh wow. That would have been a great movie to write about. I wish I would have thought about that one. Thanks for sharing the idea. Yes I see exactly where you are coming form. Allie and Noah both came from different classes just like Johnny and Baby and in both films the girl was the one from a higher class and their fathers didn't approve of the situation but both men were hardworking, caring, respectful, and very fun to be around. Both men made the women very happy and cared for them deeply. So yes great connection. Thanks for sharing.
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