This film had substantial buzz before it ever made its debut and that’s a lot to live up to, but it delivered on that hype with impeccable charm and bold, unapologetic storytelling.
Child actor, Gary Valentine, is creative and ambitious far beyond his 15-years. On school picture day, he makes the acquaintance of Alana, who works for the picture company. She is almost twice his age, but that doesn’t stop Gary from giving it his best effort. Impressed by his charisma, Alana entertains Gary’s advances more than she probably should and they wind up in a complicated push-and-pull relationship that bounces all around the San Fernando Valley in 1973.
Having grown up in the San Fernando Valley myself, there’s an extra layer of connectivity in watching all that come to life on screen, and I have an extra level of appreciation for projects that can depict that with warmth. That particular, fine-tuned element of nostalgia isn’t going to land for every audience and that small disconnect seems to be a microcosm of the film itself. Despite overwhelmingly positive critical reception, this has been a pretty polarizing film at the audience level.
I’ve seen it called both “brilliant” and “tedious” and I can see both sides of the spectrum, to a certain extent. I align myself closer to the former than the latter but can understand the average moviegoing audience having issues with the film’s cold open, seemingly throwing you into a story that started before you got there or the lack of conventional plot points as mile markers. However, that unorthodox approach to something familiar is precisely why the film is regarded so highly among critics. The traditional elements from coming-of-age films and romantic comedies are still there, just not on the path you may be accustomed to, and the film actually finds the depth of its voice as it strays from the centerline.
I appreciate that writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson did not back down from the challenge of telling this story with a sizable age gap between his main characters. It would be looked at much differently if the characters were reversed here, but the teenage boy pining for the older woman seems more normal (appropriateness aside). The romantic relationship between the characters is flirtatious in nature but the line in the sand is always present, even when that line gets tested. Anderson said in an interview that he saw a young boy flirting with his photographer at a picture day and he built the script out from there, using some childhood stories from a friend of his to round out the characters and shape the story. So, while there is some understandable apprehension to their courtship, it does come across as authentic. Taking on something controversial with confidence, or at least without fear, is the sign of a good filmmaker and the Oscar nod Director is warranted.
Much of that reputation stems from Anderson’s screenplay that finds a good amount of humor in its situational awareness and allows the performers to hone in on that with the dialogue. It isn’t written to punchlines like a lot of comedies. Instead, it thrives in the awkwardness that’s sort of the film’s trademark. The wild adventures the characters get into are derived from real stories and having that baseline grounding goes a long way in creating the comedic backbone for the script. While Anderson switched to a more dramatic gear for a while with films such as There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread, this is more of a return to his style in Boogie Nights so it’s not a surprise to see an Original Screenplay nod for this one as well.
The casting choices for the lead roles have been pretty polarizing as well, but I don’t see it that way. I can understand wanting to see Anderson bring in A-list actors for the lead roles because we have just become accustomed to that at this point in his career, but casting unknown quantities did more for the film than inserting stars just for the sake of it. Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim were great, especially together, and watching them find themselves and one another as performers is a big part of the charm in their relationship.
This was the debut performance for Hoffman who is the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Mimi O’Donnell. It is my understanding that he was brought into the role of Gary fairly late, but I am glad Anderson waited for the right fit. He had worked with Philip Seymour on a number of films (The Master most recently) and had a personal relationship with Cooper as well, so there was something of a natural fit there and I am glad to see it. The young Hoffman is gregarious, charismatic, and confident beyond his years and he brings Gary to life with such genuine zeal, it’s hard to believe there were people that looked at his performance as lacking. Obviously, his father’s shadow looms large but the comparisons aren’t fair to him or to the film.
Opposite Hoffman is Alana Haim who is part of the pop-rock trio HAIM with her sisters Este and Danielle (who play her sister in the film as well) so she’s no stranger to performing, but this was her debut role as an actor. Anderson had directed a number of music videos for the band so he was familiar with Alana and thought she embodied the ferocity needed to play the role. Acting pedigree aside, I thought she did a great job with the character. She is fiery and approaches her with a misguided sharpness that helps define the parameters of what the film is really about.
Yes, it’s a coming-of-age story for this 15-year-old boy and it’s also an awkward romantic comedy, but the same can be said for Alana’s character. When we first meet them, she seems like the adult in the equation. However, the more we learn about the two of them as individuals and through their interactions with each other, we begin to see that their roles are inverted. Gary is fully in command of his life, fully capable of running his own business, on multiple occasions, without any adult supervision. On the other hand, Alana is revealed to be a screw-up who doesn’t make great choices with men (which we also see numerous times throughout the film) and still has to come home and answer to some very strict parents (also played by her actual parents). There’s a very brief moment where Alana actually admits to being 28, then quickly corrects herself to say 25 which tells us she’s been lying about her age since Gary first asked her about it in the film’s opening minutes. The fact that she feels the need to age herself down just three years, to partially excuse her immaturity, says a lot about her psychology and it’s a brilliant but subtle piece of character.
Those looking for the kind of star power that normally comes attached to a PTA project are treated to small but extended cameos from Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper. Penn plays Jack (William) Holden, a Hollywood icon with a drinking problem who quickly pivots from his interest in Alana to his love of motorcycles. Cooper plays hairdresser-turned-producer Jon Peters who was dating Barbara Streisand at the time. When Gary, Alana, and the crew deliver a waterbed to Peters’ home, Cooper plays the character with all the caricatured energy of Hollywood producers of the era. His entire involvement in the story is just batshit crazy, but it’s awesome. Benny Safdie also has a small role as a councilman Alana works for, Tom Waits has fun as Rex Blau, and Maya Rudolph has a small cameo too.
At the end of the day, the movie isn’t about putting butts in seats with its star power. Anderson could do that if he wanted to, by the way. It’s about a moment in time that was alive with possibilities and the push and pull of young love that is relatable for so many. If it was just another entry into the genre, you probably wouldn’t have even heard about it. This is a case of an indie film that was made by a reputable, famous filmmaker and his friends.
I appreciate the approach and enjoy being challenged rather than spending my time on something derivative. The soundtrack is great and Licorice Pizza is hilarious in its way, but it might require you to cut it some slack. Even with substantial expectations to live up to, I can see why it got the Best Picture nomination.
Recommendation: See it for the performances of Hoffman and Haim in some ridiculous situations, and stay for the script that finds its footing at the edges of your comfort zone.
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