Every ten years or so there needs to be a defining coming-of-age film (or what we in the literary biz call a bildungsroman). I was caught right in-between films -- too young to really appreciate the profundity of Fast Times at Ridgemont High and too old to be taken in by the sentimentality of The Breakfast Club. This isn't to say that I wasn't wholly affected by either film only that the impact was somewhat deflected. After watching Superbad, I envy those currently in the 16-20 age group. On the one hand, this is straight up raunchy adolescent potty humor. Simply put, 90% of the jokes involve ... oh, how to put it delicately ... male genitalia. The bildungsroman for reasons that any student who has taken my literature courses should well know, is an inherently male-privileged genre and Superbad makes no apologies for that. But, on the other hand, this is dumb comedy done smartly. There is a sincere intelligence behind all this potty-mouthed humor. In other words, it's a dirty film that doesn't make you feel dirty for having watched it.

 


Comments

Josh

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:22:18

This movie actually came to mind when you were lecturing about how the problem in todays "teen" movies is between them and they're friends not the parents. I liked it.

 



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    Films Reviewed

    All
    (500) Days Of Summer
    American Teen
    Away We Go
    Bottle Rockets
    Burn After Reading
    Coraline
    Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
    Doubt
    Duplicity
    Frost Nixon
    Funny People
    Hangover
    Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
    Hotel For Dogs
    I Love You Man
    Infamous
    King Of Kong
    Let The Right One In
    Lives Of Others
    Man On Wire
    Milk
    Monsters Vs Aliens
    Rachel Getting Married
    Revolutionary Road
    Shoot Em Up
    Slumdog Millionaire
    Sunshine
    Superbad
    Taken
    Talk To Me
    The Hammer
    Vicky Christy Barcelona
    Visitor
    Watchmen
    Wrestler
    Year One


    About me

    I like sitting in the dark. Sitting in the dark is much more fun when there are flickering lights in front of you. Flickering lights are more exciting when accompanied by sounds. This is what I do and, believe it or not, someone actually pays me to do this.


    About this

    These are not film reviews. Heck, sometimes I barely even talk about the film itself at all. Instead, these are ruminations inspired by the film.

    I don't have enough time to sit through movies that I think will suck so, like most folks, I choose to go to films that I think/hope are good. So the mere fact they are up here at all is an implicit endorsement.


    Cast of Characters

    Oddly enough, even though watching a film is a very solitary act, we tend to go with others to share in this moment of isolation. Here is a quick rundown of movie companions whose names may show up periodically: J, Mini-ster, Grumpy Old Guy, Dos Amigos, the Poet, the Monks, M&M.

Academic Film Reviews