Quantcast
Channel: The Highlighter » the to-do list
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

“The To Do List” is a coming-of-age story with a heart

0
0
By Jeremy Pick
Via LA Times

Via LA Times

Partially inspired by writer and director Maggie Carey’s real life experiences as a teenager, “The To Do List” is a film that lives and breathes the 1990s. The film evokes a sense of nostalgia for the time period, while at the same time giving audiences a cute, fun coming-of-age story. As a result, the film plays like the female equivalent to “Superbad,” albeit with much less heart, where each ridiculous scenario attempts to top the one prior.

The film follows Brandy Klark (Aubrey Plaza), a diligent high school senior who is looking to break out of her shell as summer approaches. She meets an attractive college guy at a graduation party, and decides to focus her attention on winning his affections. But Brandy must first become more well-versed in the realm of sexual exploration if she wants him to notice her, and so she creates a “to do list” of various sexual activities to accomplish before her first year of college. The sexual humor might not be for everyone — it’s raunchy and much of it plays for shock value — but when it works, it works.

One of the selling points of the film is its stellar cast. It’s great to watch some of comedy’s finest do what they do best. Andy Samberg, Donald Glover, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse all play substantial roles as dumb male characters who Brandy encounters at her job as a lifeguard, and cameos from the likes of Adam Pally and Jack McBrayer add some incredibly memorable moments of energy. It’s also worth mentioning that Clark Gregg gives a surprisingly dedicated performance as Brandy’s father, who is forced to watch his daughter slowly beginning to step out of her comfort zone.

Bill Hader plays Brandy’s boss and acts as her mentor as she crosses certain acts off of her list. While a poorly handled mentor-mentee relationship can often lead to mixed results — see: Liam James and Sam Rockwell in “The Way, Way Back” for an example of this — Carey nails this relationship quite well. Hader’s character constantly shifts between moments of kindheartedness and comical indifference. Despite his slacker exterior, you can tell that he genuinely cares about Brandy and wants her to learn and grow from her summertime experiences.

Of course, “The To Do List” would be nothing without Brandy herself. Aubrey Plaza’s performance here is a bit less deadpan than usual, giving her the chance to perfectly embody the character of Brandy. She’s smart and savvy, but becomes completely vulnerable when placed within any sort of sexual encounter. At the core of the film is Brandy’s relationship with her two best friends, Fiona (Alia Shawkat) and Wendy (Sarah Steele). Their personalities are nearly identical, but Fiona is wild while Wendy is a bit more reserved. Together, their relationships with Brandy drive the story forward and ultimately end up factoring into the film’s conclusion, as Brandy’s desire to fulfill the items on her list end up getting in the way of her friendships.

While it might not be anything groundbreaking, “The To Do List” is perfect if you’re looking for something light and fun to see in theaters. And in an age where all comedies seem the same, even that much can be a meaningful experience.

Jeremy Pick is a staff writer.  Email him at film@nyunews.com.

 



Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images