The vast majority of critics give coming of age movies
something of a free pass when they are at least somewhat well done. This is
especially true if the film focusses on the trials and tribulations of a
socially awkward male character and their growing up rather than a group of
popular nubile youngsters parading around a beach (ie ‘American Pie’). Add in a
relationship with a waif but unconventionally attractive female character and
some conflict resulting from negligent parents or an early life tragedy, and
the film is a shoe-in for critical acclaim and adulation. The last several
years have seen a number of such movies released on the festival scene, and
while most are enjoyable enough to watch, few are truly memorable; moreover, there
exists a significant quality gap amongst them that separates them that most
critics seem unwilling to point out. In particular, I’m talking about ‘Adventureland’,
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’, ‘The Way Way Back’ and the focus of this
piece, ‘The Spectacular Now’.
