17 again, 2009

17 again, 2009
Director: Burr Steers
Cast: Zach Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann



Stage: Home TV selection, Monday evening.



17 again in short: At 17 Mike O'Donnell is on top of the world: he's the star of his high school basketball team, is a shoo-in for a college scholarship, and is dating his soul-mate, Scarlet. But at what's supposed to be his big game where a college scout is checking him out, Scarlet reveals that she's pregnant. Mike decides to leave the game and asks Scarlet to marry him, which she does. During their marriage, Mike can only whine about the life he lost because he married her, so she throws him out. When he also loses his job, he returns to the only place he's happy at, his old high school. While looking at his high school photo, a janitor asks him if he wishes he could be 17 again and he says yes. One night while driving he sees the janitor on a bridge ready to jump, and goes after him. When he returns to his friend Ned's house, where he has been staying, he sees that he is 17 again. He decides to take this opportunity to get the life he lost.


Preps.. Think I have seen this already. Am not sure. Or I started it.. nevertheless, I know the story so it seems a good substitute for my spanish (cancelled) class.


Reality: Arh. Again, one in the range of movies about the same topic. Becoming young again. Getting a second chance. Something you blew when you were young. Or think you did and get a remorsement and a good shot to repair the damage.
In any case, the movie sets off really teenagish, if I may say so. High school drill, homerun or a basketball game, the man of the game leaves the life behind because his girlfriend is pregnant. Gets a second chance 20 years later, which he lives being depressive over the thought he blew it all away because of a pregnant girlfriend.
In any case, waking up as a teenager again means loads of things. Once in a while I am surprised with the way a new creature is represented and placed into the story. Usually, these types of a movie come up with a substitute (either adult playing his teenage son/daughter and vice versa). So in some sense, this is an upgrade. A nephew, a lost son, coming to town for a school year.
Now the fun can begin. He still has a mind of a 40 year old, hence he chases elder women (inappropriate for his current age anyway). Now, what does he seek.. to upgrade the basketball career, to fell in love again.. as a spectator you are not sure. But for a fact, this piece is about getting close together with your family again, cherish what you have achieved and not aim for the stars, because you are going to miss the current fun. It is funny, how we spend lifetimes dreaming about things we think we could have, but in fact never achieve them, plus, we never indulge things that are at the touch of our hands. So close, yet, we never appreciate given things in our lives and current achievements.
Numerous funny scenes derive from simple momentum where you have an adult thrown into the pimple high school world again. World, where you get your ass literally stuck to the toilet, because your friendly schoolfriends used some superglu on you. World, where there is no alcohol yet, and no real parties. World, where you get to study hard and do not have any real legal rights. So untattractive, it seems, once you get to think. For me, I would never get back to my high school. However, I would go back in the years I have studied. Those were better years, with means and measurements, with fun and work, with almost being adult problems and solutions. When you are bold. When you dare. When you think you can be the president if you wanted.

The moral of the movie is really Hollywood like. I mean, come on. If a couple needs a divorce, it should get one. For the better of all involved. In this case, the remorsement or the second chance takes place. Women are obliged to forgive. Should I say inclined to forgive? Hm..
A semi average comedy. Amusing to watch. Won't give you any depth or any solutions. In this case, a weirdo with a beard saves the day. And a happy ending is inevitable. But in this piece, I kinda like it.



My personal rating: 6,0 (a decent vice versa comedy. Funny and thoughtful. Plus, a super excellent neatly assembled piece of a young man. Almost illegaly handsome young man).


17 again on IMDB