Review by Jen McNeely

Director: Jonathan Levine

Actors: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirbly, Mary-Kate Olsen

In A Nutshell: NYC in the 1990’s was all about the shrink couch, hip hop, crime crack down and pure dopeness. Luke Shapiro (played by newcomer Josh Peck) is finishing his final year of high school but is more successful at pushing his weed cart through Washington Square and making mad cash while listening to Notorious B.I.G. Feeling sexually frustrated, apathetic, and socially awkward he finds solace and a peculiar friendship in his Psychiatrist (played by Ben Kingsley) who offers up free Freudian bull shit and quasi hippie spiritual advice in return for some hits on the bong and a quarter ounce of weed. Shapiro becomes enamoured with Dr. Squires sultry step daughter Stephanie (played by JUNO babe, Olivia Thirbly) and a hot summer quest to lose his virginity and go steady sparks.

Three Words to Describe: Dysfunctional-highs, hot-sex, family-fuck-ups (okay not three really, but I tried)

Indicative Quotes: “I’ve never cheated on my wife, but now it is my mission.”

“Hold on brother, what are you in here for?”
“Stabbing my wife in the pussy.”

“With all due respect to my stepdaughter, fuck her, fuck them all!”

Reason I liked It: A completely accurate account of a mid-nineties teenage hard on, and all the other awkward bullshit that comes with it. A gritty and wet trip back in time to the NYC hip hop culture of weed induced resistance to Giuliani’s clean up crusade.

Film made me feel: Like I was eighteen again, dry humping with my quasi step brother while eating hash brownies and listening to Tribe Called Quest.

You’ll Like This Film if You Liked: KIDS, Squid and the Whale, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Reality Bites

The Verdict: Tetris, pagers, pant creaming, blunt rolling; this film is dope right down to da font. The dialogue and timing is smack on the money and the story, however demented, is entirely believable and relatable to anyone that has questioned their sanity, fallen for the unattainable, enjoys the sensation of zip locking a dime bag, and reflecting on life’s absurdities.

Go See This Film With: Your pot head buddy, new fling or dry-humoured girlfriend