Let it be known that this film was a complete shock to me. I walked in not knowing much about it except for the blurb I read on TIFF's website. When I say I was shocked, I mean it in a positive manner. The story line was delivered so well by the actors and for his first film, Boone did an excellent job of directing.
Lily Collins and Logan Lerman. Source: TIFF.net
The story follows Bill (Greg Kinnear) and the aftermath of his divorce with his wife Erica (Jennifer Connelley). Once a successful author, Greg is so obsessed with the idea of winning his wife back that he always sets a place for her at Thanksgiving dinner to the dismay of his daughter Sam (Lily Collins). Both Sam and Bill's son Rusty (Nat Wolff) are aspiring writers trying to develop their own writing style, but the success of their father looms over their heads.
Sam is a feisty character, and Collins portrays her impeccably. At the beginning of the film she is closed off to social interactions, and uses sex as a defensive mechanism to try and avoid the negative emotions she has towards her mother for leaving their family. She meets Lou (Logan Lerman), a classmate in her college writing class whom she learns to open up to after his many advances and develops a relationship with him.
Rusty on the other hand, is perceived by his classmates as being awkward, dorky, and unpopular. His storyline surrounds him trying escape the shadow of his sister, who has recently published a book, while trying to find himself in the real world. As he embarks on a relationship with Kate (Liana Liberato), he gets sucked into the world of peer pressure: drugs, sex, and alcohol.
Even though the main plot line follows these three characters, the overall story would be incomplete without the supporting actors. You find yourself drawn to the acting of the younger cast members of Collins, Lerman, Wolff, and Liberato. The film is quite a spectacle. It hits all of your emotions from elation, anger, and sadness. It was extremely enjoyable to watch, and if you pay close attention, there are moments of foreshadowing that make sense at the end of the film.
As the first film I've ever seen a TIFF, it was a definite winner in my eyes. The soundtrack was wicked, the acting is on point, and the story is there. It probably won't win an Oscar because it's so fresh faced, but keep an eye out for Boone in the future. He has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see another one of his films. In fact, I might just pay to see this film again in theatres just to see what a mega corporation has changed to a once indie film. They've already changed the name (which I believe was the wrong move), who knows what direction they can take this film and how they can possibly elevate it to even more greatness.
Rating: 9/10
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