The Spectacular Now (2013)
85%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 32 nominations
The Spectacular Now is an adroit, sensitive film that avoids typical coming-of-age story trappings
The Spectacular Now is like a rollercoaster ride of emotions, taking you from laughter to tears and back again. The chemistry between Teller and Woodley is electric, and the film captures the essence of teenage life in a way that feels both honest and relatable. Sure, it may not be the smartest movie out there, but sometimes you just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good coming-of-age story. And that’s exactly what The Spectacular Now delivers. So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a wild ride.
Production Company(ies)
Miramax, Be Gentlemen Limited Partnership, Lawrence Bender Productions,
Distributor
A24
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Athens, Georgia, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for alcohol use, language and some sexuality – all involving teens
Year of Release
2013
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 35m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2013 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2014
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler, directed by James Ponsoldt, written by Scott Neustadter, Michael H Weber, Comedy, Drama, R rating, box office gross $6.9M, reviewed by Noah Berlatsky, Jason Bailey, Jared Eisenstat, Andrea Gronvall, Rene Rodriguez, Adam Graham, David Walsh, Leigh Paatsch, Richard Propes, Debbie Lynn Elias, coming-of-age, high school, partying, alcohol use, romance, relationships, adolescence, maturity, emotions, love, heartbreak, friendship, family, drama, A24, Michelle Krumm, Andrew Lauren, Shawn Levy, Tom McNulty, produced by
Worldwide gross: $6,918,591
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $8,789,018
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,009
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 958,453
US/Canada gross: $6,854,611
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $8,707,742
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,659
US/Canada opening weekend: $197,415
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $250,786
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,591
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $3,175,870
Production budget ranking: 1,971
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,710,206
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,902,942
ROI to date (est.): 80%
ROI ranking: 1,010
Shailene Woodley – Aimee Finicky
Brie Larson – Cassidy
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Sara
Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Holly Keely
Kyle Chandler – Tommy
Director(s)
James Ponsoldt
Writer(s)
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
Producer(s)
Michelle Krumm, Andrew Lauren, Shawn Levy, Tom McNulty
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 32 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (170) | Top Critics (53) | Fresh (155) | Rotten (15)
The movie wasn’t smart enough to deal with the interesting protagonists it started with, and so it reverted to trope.
August 28, 2019
Noah Berlatsky
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
There are scenes, moments, and dialogue in this film that ring so true that it all comes rushing back, a flood of memories and emotions and a little bit of pain.
June 19, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
[Ponsoldt] enjoys playing with our expectations by following conventions, luring us into the sense that we know what’s coming, and then swerving just a little off-road for a detour.
November 4, 2013
Jared Eisenstat
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
[A] nuanced and unsentimental coming-of-age film.
August 23, 2013
Andrea Gronvall
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
This adaptation of Tim Tharp’s novel, directed with delicate restraint by James Ponsoldt, sneaks up on you. It makes you laugh, then it breaks your heart.
August 23, 2013 | Rating: 3/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Teller and Woodley hum together, and the movie does their performances justice.
August 23, 2013 | Rating: B+
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
As a result of this diffuseness and its focus on individual moral or emotional choices, The Spectacular Now, probably without wishing to, drifts into a sort of conformism.
February 12, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
Viewers who lock into the precise storytelling frequency transmitted here will be rewarded with a connection that will continue to stir the emotions well after it is over.
October 19, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Woodley deserves all the accolades she will most assuredly receive for giving such a disciplined yet vulnerable performance as Aimee.
September 24, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
The Spectacular Now is a touching, and sometimes funny, coming-of-age drama…one of the most honest and realistic teen films I have ever seen.
July 18, 2020
Damond Fudge
KCCI (Des Moines, IA)
A spectacular coming-of-age film that is thoughtful and moving filled with charm, sweetness, truth and honesty, The Spectacular Now is a “Must See”.
November 27, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
We need good films about teenagers, and The Spectacular Now isn’t one of them.
November 19, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/5
David Harris
Spectrum Culture…
Plot
Sutter Keely lives in the now. It’s a good place for him. A high school senior, charming and self-possessed, he’s the life of the party, loves his job at a men’s clothing store, and has no plans for the future. A budding alcoholic, he’s never far from his supersized, whiskey-fortified thirst-master cup. But after being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finecky hovering over him. She’s different: the “nice girl” who reads science fiction and doesn’t have a boyfriend. While Aimee has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now, yet somehow, they’re drawn together.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, who have great chemistry together on screen.
James-Ponsoldt.jpg
