Kicking & Screaming - Criterion Collection (1995)

Paralyzed with post-graduation ennui, a group of college friends remain on campus, patching together a community for themselves in order to deny the real-world futures awaiting them. Academy Award–nominated screenwriter Noah Baumbach’s hilarious and touching directorial debut was one of the highlights of the American independent film scene of the nineties, speaking directly to a generation of adults-to-be unable to reconcile their hermetic education experience with workaday responsibility, and posing the eternal question, "Where do we go from here?" Stingingly funny and incisive, Baumbach’s breakthrough features endlessly quotable dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble cast.

This is a gem, don't miss it

There is a certain quality about this film which makes it watchable over and over again. I think it has to do with the success of the flashback sequences providing just enough overlap of weaving the story and the characters together. There is cleverness and a humble attention to human reality that just packs every little scene - you can watch this totally out of sequence and still enjoy it. I don't think it has anything to do with the post-college setting, it has more to do with the universal nature of fleeting relationships, bad choices made out of pride, and the sort of instant nostalgia you feel for things that you knew were good and let slip away. This is a very smart, funny movie I highly recommend. There's no gimmicky death, illness, or obsurd plot points - just an honest story about lost love and friendships as they mature through time, played by skilled actors and filled with great dialogue. October 27, 2008

do not turn to this movie if you are suffereing from a quarterlife crisis

Not to be confused with the Will Farrell flick of the same name, the movie by Noah Baumbach is an attempt at reminiscence of lost love and the misplaced excitement of college life. On paper, this film's premise seems exciting, daring even, but on film Kicking and Screaming is simply another post-college drag. At an hour an a half this movies seems a semester long - as long as it takes the protagonist to realize he can't skip in time - whether backward or forward. This film contains a poignant supporting performance by Eric Stoltz. August 31, 2008

Baumbach's First Great

I had never seen this movie prior to buying it. Therefore, as someone who did no "grow up with this" movie, I would like to note why I did go into this movie. First, I am a huge fan of Baumbach's two most recent films. Second, I am a sucker for any DVD stamped with the Criterion Collection. Third, its a Criterion movie under $20, nearly impossible for those Criterion fans who know.

As for my thoughts, the movie is a wonderful snapshot of the lives of a group of people who have just finished college. I am confident, that many of you out there will have at least one friend who is or was similar to one of the characters in the film. This is a movie about the "what the heck do we do next" phase of our college careers. It depicts the general exhaustion after college as well as the fear. It also openly admits what many of us want or wanted to admit at one point in time, that we really don't want to do anything or care to do anything (for that matter) after college. The movie more or less ends on the next stage in one's college career, where that indifference to almost everything, slowly forms into an actual care for something. And so we finally begin...adulthood.

A note to fellow reviewers, don't forget that this is a movie about a specific class/group of people going to a specific college, Vassar. Vassar is extremely expensive, extremely selective and is listed in the top 20 for admission rankings in the US. Apart from these facts, it is rather obvious, that the characters in this movie are privileged. As many are keen to write in their reviews, the characters are pretentious. Yes they are, but most important to note, is that the movie knows this, and it seems, so do the characters.

I did not find the dialog to be as quotable as many have written, however I did enjoy a number of the conversations which only Baumbach can make feel so incredibly fragile, extremely warm and of course -human.

For a slightly similar movie on more Young American East Coast Elite, I suggest Metropolitan - Criterion Collection March 21, 2008

What Did I Miss

This is arguable the most boring movie I have ever seen. In all honesty this review only covers the first ¾ of the movie due to the fact I had to turn it off. I don't know if it was just bad acting, a bad script or uninspiring direction - actually it was all of the above. I have read other reviews and keep asking myself - did we watch the same movie? This high school project of a movie will be bundled with Catwomen, Gigli, and Norbit. (I hope I can get $1 for all these paper weights). If you want to watch a great movie about the same subject - check out Fandango (now there is a great flick - one of the best comedies ever). January 24, 2008

real life humor

Great movie, about life between college and the real world. Very funny. May 13, 2007

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