The Spectacular Now (2013)
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Two high school seniors navigate the complexities of first love and the daunting reality of their futures.
The story
Sutter Keely is a charming and popular 18-year-old high school senior who spends his final year partying and drinking. After a breakup with his girlfriend, he finds himself in an unexpected situation where he meets Aimee Finecky, a girl in his grade. The two begin an unexpected romance as they navigate their final months of high school. As they grow closer, they must confront their personal struggles, family secrets, and the daunting reality of what comes next after graduation. The film explores their connection as they attempt to navigate the transition from adolescence to adulthood while dealing with the pressures of their respective lives.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Sutter Keely, a popular 18-year-old, is partying and drinking during his senior year of high school. After a breakup with his girlfriend Cassidy, he meets Aimee Finecky, a girl in his grade. They begin a romance, and Sutter eventually asks Aimee to prom. Their relationship deepens as they share personal struggles: Aimee deals with her mother's demands and her father's death from an opioid overdose, while Sutter deals with his estranged father, Tommy. On prom night, they decide to go to college together. However, a meeting with Sutter's father leads to a falling out, and a drunken argument leads to Aimee being injured in a car accident. After graduation, Sutter faces a choice regarding his job and his future. He eventually realizes his reliance on living for the moment was a defense mechanism. He travels to Philadelphia to find Aimee as she begins her new life, where they share a final, ambiguous moment.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 95
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Ponsoldt
- Writers
- Scott Neustadter · screenplay; Michael H. Weber · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Miles Teller · Sutter; Shailene Woodley · Aimee; Brie Larson; Mary Elizabeth Winstead; Bob Odenkirk; Jennifer Jason Leigh; Kyle Chandler
- Genres
- coming-of-age; romantic drama
- Themes
- coming-of-age; first love; addiction; identity
- Tone and mood
- sincere; authentic; sensitive
- Premise and plot tags
- high school; romance; alcoholism; virginity
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2008 novel of the same name by Tim Tharp
- Reception
- The film was warmly received at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and received critical acclaim, with critics praising its authentic portrayal of teenagers and its avoidance of typical coming-of-age tropes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 92% · scale: percentage · review count: 169; Metacritic · score: 82 · scale: 100 · review count: 42
- Awards and nominations
- Special Jury Award for Acting · Special Jury Award · 2013 · Win
- Production trivia
- The script was originally set in Oklahoma, but the director chose to film in his hometown of Athens, Georgia.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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