Post Grad
PG-13 for sexual situations and brief strong language
Life after college can be tough if you don't land your dream job and have to move back in with your slightly nutty family while trying to figure out what to do with yourself. It's a premise with promise but a story with no glory -- and not a lot of laughs, either.
The Story
Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) has a college degree! She quickly learns, though, that they don't just hand out cool jobs with the square hats. Turned down for her dream gig with a publishing company, Ryden is quickly turned down for lots of other jobs, too.
So it's back into her old bedroom at home with her wacky dad (Michael Keaton), wackier grandma (Carol Burnett), even wackier little bro (Bobby Coleman), and perfectly sane mom (Jane Lynch). Maybe she'll work for dad in the luggage store? Or help him with his new belt buckle business? Or go work for the hot Brazilian guy next door who is clearly trying to seduce her?
Whatever she does, she must completely dis guy friend Adam (Zach Davies), who is obviously in love with her and just waiting around for her to wake up and see how charming and wonderful he is. I mean, c'mon, he plays the guitar!
But Ryden can't seem to do anything but wait around herself, expecting the universe to tell her what to do next -- or for the movie to end -- whichever comes first.
The Verdict
What we thought of the movie on its own terms
What Works: A story about the difficult season between college and the rest of your life is a great idea, and who wouldn't love a cast like this? I'd be excited to see almost any movie with Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, and Jane Lynch. And I like that QB1 kid from "Friday Night Lights," too. The whole thing must have sounded like a slam dunk before they started filming.
What Doesn't Work: But the cool cast just doesn't have much interesting to say or do for 90 minutes. They are obviously supposed to be quirky, but it's the blandest, doughiest kookiness ever. They're just kind of odd, apparently, for the sake of being odd. And Ryden is a vacant canvas happy to hang out with them or Adam or the older Brazilian neighbor -- whatever the script tells her to do next.
The film isn't terribly offensive in its tedium; it just leaves almost no impact whatsoever. Ten minutes after I saw it, I had to go look up the title again. I'm sure I'll have no memory of it whatsoever by this time tomorrow.
Content: Ryden nearly has sex with the neighbor before her family walks in on them. There's a little sexual dialogue and some harsh language, including the use of God's name for swearing. A cat gets squished.
Worldview
How the film's take on life compares to a biblical perspective
David, the 30-something Brazilian guy next door, eventually announces the film's worldview for us so Ryden will know what to do next with her life. He says something like: "What you do in life is only half the story. The other half -- the more important half -- is who you do it with." It's good line, and he sounds good saying it. You can hear it in the trailer online if you want to.
And it's not a bad message for students crawling toward independence: Appreciate your family now. You won't be hanging out with them forever. And factor your friendships into choices about your future. Sometimes a career or a calling will move you away from people you care about, but it's worth asking if the distance is worth it.
Whether you're talking about old friends or new ones -- or girl/boyfriends -- wisdom warns us to make sure we figure our relationships into the equation of our lives. On the one hand, "bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33) And on the positive side, "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17) -- or hang out with people who will make you work to be a better person.
Especially when you're just getting started, the relationships you build are at least as important as the work you'll be doing. Don't take the good ones for granted.
Questions
- Are you a fan of Alexis Bledel? Did you like her performance in this film?
- Are you planning to go to college? What are you hoping to get out of it? Do you expect that going to college will help you get the job you want?
- Do you know what kind of work you want to do, yet? Do you know the kinds of people you want to work with?
- Who are you favorite members of this cast: Keaton, Burnett, Bledel, Lynch, Gildford, or the little kid who plays head-licking Hunter?
- What's the name of this movie again?
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