The Spectacular Now

Test

October 5 – October 10

The Spectacular Now

Sat 10/5 6:30; Sun 10/6 5:00; Mon 10/7 9:00; Tue; 10/8 6:30; Wed 10/9 9:00; Thur 10/10 6:30

Dir.: James Ponsoldt / 2013 / US / 100 min / 35mm film

A hit this year at both the Sundance and Seattle film festivals, The Spectacular Now traces the contours of familiar coming-of-age stories, powered by two impressive performances from Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller. The pair, who play the lead roles of Aimee and Sutter, were singled out for Special Jury Prizes at Sundance “two young actors who showed rare honesty, naturalism and transparency and whose performances brought up the best in each other”.  Aimee is a nerdy “nice girl” who reads science fiction and doesn’t fit easily into any high school social category, while Sutter is a charming ne’er-do-well who seems headed for a life of alcoholism. Naturally, they fall in love. The Spectacular Now sets up the tension between people who live for now and people who look to the future, and, just as in real life, it’s anybody’s guess how it will turn out. Jordan Hoffman of Film.com writes that among the “more remarkable accomplishments is kneecapping most high school movie clichés. Boy meets girl, they help one another grow—but the way in which they’re presented remains individual and exciting.”