Review of film: “TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT” ( opening March 4, 2011 )

2011, 02-07:

Review of film:  “TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT”

            …  Is it still possible (or WISE) to try to go “HOME”?...

It’s the late 1980’s.  Although times were in many ways “easier” than today, some people still found it hard to decide what would be a good path for their FUTURE…

…  One of those people is Matt Franklin (TOPHER GRACE).  He’s very bright (having graduated from M.I.T.).  But, supposedly because he doesn’t like the “materialism” of the world around him, he’s chosen to take a minimalist clerk job at a SUNCOAST VIDEO rental store (although my feeling is, he simply couldn’t decide just WHAT he wanted to really do in life)…

 …  Topher has a twin sister named Wendy (ANNA FARIS), & where he tends to be SHY & indecisive, she tends to be outgoing & straightforward.  Where Topher has no “significant other”, she has a steady boyfriend Kyle Masterson (CHRIS PRATT) who she’s planning to move in with soon…

…  One day, a beautiful girl named Tori Frederking (TERESA PALMER) comes into Topher’s store.  He’d had a crush on her when they attended Shermer High School together, but was always afraid to ask her out.  Trying to act “cool”, Topher quickly gets out of his uniform & tries to act like he’s a customer of the store & like he “barely” remembers her--  tho he’d still love to be WITH her…

…  Anna keeps urging Topher to “go for it” with Teresa, but he’s unsure how to proceed & typically afraid to do that.  Their dad Bill (MICHAEL BIEHN) is a cop, & keeps trying to urge Topher to do MORE in life & not waste his abilities--  but Topher is still hesitant & insecure…

…  Topher’s best friend Barry Nathan (DAN FOGLER) is comparatively a “WILD child”--  often boorish, trying to act like a “big shot” & frequently a SCREW-UP as he crashes thru life like a bull in a car dealership (where he works until he’s FIRED for messing up)…  He keeps urging Topher to “lighten-up” & act more UNDISCIPLINED, like he is…

…  Dan urges Topher to attend the yearly Labor Day party of Anna’s boyfriend Chris, since Teresa had said she’ll be there.  Topher tends to latch on to the WORST elements of Dan’s general ideas & attitudes, & starts pretending to be working for an investment BANK (since Teresa works for one).  Altho cautious, he agrees to Barry’s idea to STEAL an expensive car to impress Teresa…

…  Well, wouldn’t you know it, the car they boost happens to have DRUGS in it, which Barry happily misuses, with disastrous (but comical) consequences…  They go to Chris’ party, where Dan meets & tries to impress various girls such as Shelly (LUCY PUNCH), & Topher meets up with Teresa--  typically WASTING a lot of her interest in him due to feeling uncomfortable & acting oblivious…

…  At one point, Topher meets up with an old high school classmate at the party (played by DEMETRI MARTIN) who’s in a wheelchair--  and, of all things, he’s “FAMILIAR” with the bank that Topher had claimed to be “working” for…

…  Per Teresa’s idea, Topher & increasingly “out-of-it” Dan follow Terea’s idea to go to another party at her BOSS’ fancy home…  Topher continues his “role-playing”, hoping it’ll help him “win-over” his old crush--  and Demetri gets “involved” with that…

…  Will Topher’s actions start to get him “CLOSER” to Teresa?...  Will Dan’s drug use get him into even more TROUBLE as the nite goes on?...  Will Topher take the “challenge” of showing his “guts” by riding inside a huge metal BALL that Chris has constructed as a “dare” to people?...   Will Topher start to get “ON TRACK” in  life?...

…  There are lots of FUNNY situations “rumbling” thru the film as they go thru their various experiences.  Topher is typically “understated”, Anna comes across as “caring” & sensible, & Dan comes across as a “force of nature” as he keeps going “crazy” with one person after another…

…  The movie combines a surprising amount of “raunchiness” & political “incorrectness” with some “sweet” & “difficult” times the characters go thru.  There’s a lot of successful HUMOR along with the “extremes” and “messages” as some of the characters “grow” from their experiences…

…  Since it’s EFFECTIVE as a story with comedic underpinnings, I’m rating this at 7.5 out of 10 stars…

[ Later, I intend to do a write-up on the IN-PERSON Q&A held after the movie with TOPHER GRACE & DEMETRI MARTIN;  use the "SEARCH" box (in the upper right-hand corner) under the name "TOPHER" to find it!… ]

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