Home Alone (1990)

Director: Chris Columbus (RIP 2009)
Writer: John Hughes
Composer: John Williams

..gee, between 2 of these 3 guys, I can't help but think to myself... no wonder I'm getting "Harry Potter" vibes from this movie

Cast:
Kevin McCallister- Macaulay Culkin
Kate McCallister- Catherine O'Hara
Peter McCallister- John Heard (RIP 2017)
Buzz- Devin Ratray
Jeff- Michael C. Maronna (aka the older Pete from "The Adventures of Pete & Pete)
Uncle Frank- Gerry Bamman
Harry- Joe Pesci
Marv- Daniel Stern
Gus Polinski- John Candy (RIP 1994)
Old Man Marley- Roberts Blossom (RIP 2011)

...

You almost can't have a proper Christmas season without one of the original Home Alone movies. If you ask me, the two movies are practically interchangeable. They have the same cast and premise. The only difference is location, really. "Home Alone 3" is ok, but nowhere near as good as the original ones. And it's one of those movies that have become a Christmas classic, so remaking it is a ridiculous idea. You know studios are running out of ideas when they're remaking 90's movies.

Anyway, moving on...

This is one of those movies I grew up with and still like revisiting from time to time. It's been a couple years since I saw the original and I had a lot of fun this time around. 

Everyone knows the basic premise: The McCallisters are going on a vacation to Paris. A major argument breaks out between the youngest brother Kevin and the oldest brother, Buzz. Kevin gets blamed for the incident breaking out in the first place and he's punished. Between this punishment (being banished to the attic) and a few other random incidents, the family oversleeps and is running late for their trip. In all of the hustle and bustle, they completely forget about Kevin and he's left Home Alone.
There are two burglars called the Wet Bandits making their rounds in the neighborhood. Kevin has to get by on his own while having to defend himself against the burglars. He also befriends the scary old man that lives next door and the results of this friendship have a major impact on the story as well as the characters themselves.

Anyone who knows me knows that John Hughes is one of my favorite writer/directors in the movie industry. I still miss him... can't believe he left us 10 years ago...  this is another of his great contributions alongside The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The movie is hilarious, but it also has a lot of heart and the writing is really good. It's also crazy to find out that he and Chris Columbus (who went on to direct Mrs. Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter movies) were friends because I like Chris Columbus a lot as well. 

And John Williams doing the music. Wow... and just maybe that's why the first Harry Potter movie in particular has that special feel to it. Not just because it's the introduction to the franchise and there's a lot of magic involved (in the script and with the production), but the music and the feel I get with the visuals. In Home Alone, they're very simple, obviously, but there's a certain warmth. And of course with it being a Christmas movie, the warm and fuzzies come with the territory. 

Obviously this movie couldn't have been done as well without Macaulay Culkin. Sure, he makes Kevin out to be too smart for his own good sometimes, but it's done with the right amount of balance between innocence, cockiness and heart. The same can't be said for the actor in Home Alone 3 because he is way too smart for his own good and it's to the point where it's not believable. Sadly, with the way child acting has been going over the past couple of years, it's only going to get worse. 
It's also kinda sad that he's one of those child actors that got too famous too fast and they couldn't handle their success or go back to living a normal life. He's one of those people where rumors would fly around constantly that they'd died, but it was really a hoax. 

The two Home Alone movies have one key side-story in common. Kevin is initially afraid of a stranger because of either rumors or they just look strange. But after getting to know them, he sees they're not so bad and they have their own insecurities that he tries to absolve them of. 
In this movie, it's the scary old man that lives next door. There's a scene early on where Buzz is telling Kevin about a rumor that Marley killed his family and buried them in the backyard. Admittedly, the way the camera shoots this man and the creepy music that follows, it's hard not to be intimidated. So it's kinda crazy when he talks to Kevin when they meet at a church service and he winds up being completely normal. His back story isn't fleshed out too much, but he talks about having an argument with his son and they'd been estranged ever since. Kevin winds up talking him into giving things another shot. 
When I watched this scene again, I thought about how similiar it was in the second movie with the Central Park pigeon lady. Her story was that she'd been in love with someone and he broke her heart and she wound up separating herself from society because she was afraid to open up to people again. The similiar exchange that happens in both movies: Kevin suggests that they take action to change things, they say "what if it doesn't work out" (or something to the effort of repeating their initial apprehension), and he stands his ground, convincing them to do something about it. 
In the second movie, we don't see if anything does change with the pigeon lady. But in the first movie, we certainly do.

Before going further, I gotta add how poignant that church scene is where the children's choir is singing "O' Holy Night." It really grounds you and makes you feel like it's Christmas time. I also love when Kevin leaves the church, the clock rings 8 times (the Bandits said they'll break it at 9), and the music changes to John Williams' version of "Carol of the Bells" but with the extra drama and urgency. That's why this guy is one of the best in the industry.

Anyway, back to the resolution of Marley and his family.

There's an episode of Seinfeld where George wants to watch "Home Alone" in Jerry's apartment. Jerry gets back later in the episode and George is a mess. He's like "What, you're crying over Home Alone?" And George is like "The old man got to me."
Seriously, you watch that final scene of the movie when the reconciliaton happens and tell me you don't get choked up. With the snow falling and the music and how everything is shot... dang, that's good. 
I love the little thing in the 2nd movie with the Turtle Dove ornaments: "you keep one and you give the other to a very special person. So as long as you each have your turtle dove, you'll be friends forever"... AWWW, that's so sweet!!! I'm a sucker for sentimental stuff, especially at Christmas time. 

And of course this movie has the burglars. It's kinda funny seeing Joe Pesci in a family movie, someone known for more than occasionally spewing profanity. But the two guys are robbing all these houses on this block where all the families happen to be away on vacation. I can understand one or two, but everyone? That's kinda unbelievable. 
And all the shenanigans that happen as they try to rob the house and Kevin set up all these boobytraps for them :P IMDb actually had trivia where a medical expert runs through some of them and whether or not the resulting injuries are believable. People take things way too seriously sometimes. 
I think I read somewhere that they kept a swear jar on set because Pesci couldn't help himself. But going through the movie trivia, I read that he didn't talk to Macaulay Culkin when they weren't shooting because he wanted him to think he was mean. And also Chris Columbus told Pesci to say "fridge" when he got the urge to say the other "f word."

While all this is going on, Kevin's mom is trying to get home as soon as she can. I almost feel bad for the family because they can't even enjoy their vacation with all this going on. But she gets to a point where she's flown to all these different locations and winds up in Scranton... we moved up to the Poconos in 2006, so it's kinda funny to hear them mention Scranton because I know where that is now (even though I'd never been there). 
It's interesting to read that John Candy did this role for free and he improvised everything. He's a nice light spot in the movie as well. Kevin's mom needed that little bit of reassurance with all she'd gone through. 

Other than "Do you give up or are you thirsty for more?"- the one thing about this movie I always remembered as a kid. The movie within the movie. I was so disappointed to find out that "Angels with Filthy Souls" wasn't even a real movie. Because it looked like a fun movie. There's this gangster boss this guy owes money and at the end of the scene, the boss shoots him up.
"You have until the count of 10 to get your ugly, yella, no good keister off my property before I pop your guts full of lead.... 1, 2, 10!!"
So funny when these guys never properly cut to 10. But after seeing the movie once, Kevin used this scene multiple times to full comedic effect. Because the poor unwitting fools never saw it coming :P It's so great that that joke was brought back in the next movie- "Angels with even filthier souls"

I think that's everything I can add about this movie. There's a lot of good stuff to talk about, but I think that's roughly it.

13. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Code-name: NRVS
(as seen on Cameron's license plate)

[my favorite quote of the whole movie, lol]

Writer/Director: John Hughes
Type: Brat Pack high school dramedy

Cast:
Ferris Bueller- Matthew Broderick
Cameron Frye- Alan Ruck
Sloane Peterson- Mia Sara
Jeanie Bueller- Jennifer Grey
Principal Ed Rooney- Jeffrey Jones
Grace- Edie McClurg
Mr. Bueller- Lyman Ward
Mrs. Bueller- Cindy Pickett
[Honorable Mentions]
Economics Teacher- Ben Stein
Junkie at Police Station- Charlie Sheen

Notable Nomination:
Golden Globe- Best Actor (comedy/musical)- Matthew BroderickWrite-up:

Opening Thoughts

Really closing in on the end here...
Of the 12 remaining, all but 4 are personal favorites of mine.
The other 4: I'd seen within the past 3 years that impressed me so much I couldn't not include them. And yeah, a couple of them were influenced by other people who claimed they deserved Oscars or described them as "sleepers" that gained notoriety as the years have gone by.

In this case of "Ferris Bueller"... I don't remember the logistics of how it came to my attention, when and why. I don't even remember if it was my first or 2nd John Hughes film... It's just always been a personal favorite, always worth a revisit when nothing else is on TV.
Seriously, it is on TV so often I never bothered getting it on DVD even though it's only $7.50.

Directing and Casting

John Hughes will get his due for sure in my blog because I'm a huge fan of his movies.
Not so much to the point I'd literally seen every one, but I'm working on it.

He's known for working with a certain group of actors and interestingly, "Ferris Bueller" doesn't fit into this dynamic at all. The closest connection we have to the Brat Pack is Charlie Sheen (his brother Emilio turned down the role of Cameron as did Anthony Michael Hall, for the same reason as "Pretty in Pink"-- didn't want to be typecast).

He's also known for always setting his movies in Chicago and having "Shermer" in some context. In this case, I believe it's the name of the town.
Supposedly, this movie was his love letter to the city, containing famous landmarks like the Sears Tower, attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago... even a local parade (Von Steuben Day Parade) featured in one of the film's most iconic scenes.

As Emma Stone called it in "Easy A," that "musical number for no apparent reason."
http://moviegoerconfessions.blogspot.com/2014/04/32-easy-2010.html
...I'm sure the Channel Awesome people would consider it a "big-lipped alligator moment"

So many big names auditioned for the title role (Rob Lowe, John Cusack, Jim Carrey, Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Eric Stoltz, RDJ)... I'd be curious to see Downey's version of Bueller (for my personal reasons obviously but also to see him have a GOOD role in an 80's movie)... even then, I wouldn't change any of the casting choices for this movie.

The key with Ferris was getting a guy who was charming and easy on the eyes. Exactly why John Hughes wanted Matthew Broderick: he made this character likeable.
Previous to this film, Matthew and Alan Ruck were in a stage of production of "Bilouxi Blues" together and when it came to finding Cameron, Matthew recommended Alan Ruck without hesitation because they got along so well. John Hughes had previously seen him at a "Breakfast Club" audition for the role of John Bender.

As for Sloane Peterson, Ferris's girlfriend, Molly Ringwald auditioned but missed out on the part because Mia Sara (who'd had few other roles since) had the special something John Hughes wanted for the part.
Matthew Broderick had charm, Mia Sara had elegance... funny enough, she was the only member of the trio who was a teenager.

I would have figured that Jennifer Grey did this before "Dirty Dancing" because it made more sense for her to play an antagonist after being such a goody-toe-shoes... but nope, the opposite is true and for me, it's still hard to believe it's the same person playing both these roles. I can't help but feel bad for her throughout this, particularly when she calls the cops, asking for help and they're more concerned about her "dying" brother than her safety. Imagine a slasher film with that scenario, the inane possibilities!

Ultimately, though, she does come around and decides to be the bigger person. Then again, someone had to put an end to Ed Rooney's manhunt.
Writing and Improvising

John Hughes wrote the "first draft" of the script in 6 days, but according to some behind-the-scenes gossip, this film's production was a particularly stressful one: both for him and the cast. Before the edits, the film ran for 2 hours and 45 minutes (roughly an hour longer than the final product). Even while they were shooting, he'd be doing all kinds of rewrites... what can you say? Either you view him negatively or consider the possibility he might be a genius... and as is often the case, geniuses can be difficult to work with.

On the plus side, this made room for some kick-ass improvisations.

Probably this movie's most underappreciated is Edie McClug, unforgettable as Principal Ed Rooney's secretary. Someone as rabid about catching Ferris as Ed Rooney (almost like Captain Ahab crazy), they need someone to humor them and at least try to keep them in line. She got her "training" at the Groundlings, a notable LA-based improv group who generated stars like dozens of SNL alums, Jon Lovitz... even Mr. Miyagi himself, Pat Morita.
Her best line in this movie: adding "they think he's a righteous dude" to the end of her laundry list of cliques that adore Ferris.
Just a great dynamic: her and Ed Rooney.

Another scene-stealer is, naturally, Ben Stein as the economics professor.
The roll-call scene was in the script, but his lecture on voo-doo economics and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff... that was all improvised on the spot. John Hughes simply told him to give a lecture, putting his economics degree to good use.
Very briefly in my 11th grade Social Studies class, my professor brought up the Hawley-Smoot Tariff, namedropping the movie in the process.

The best that Matthew Broderick came with [to the best of my knowledge]... "Never had one lesson," playing the clarinet badly. Emma Stone did better on that guitar in "Easy A" :P not that it was meant to be any good.

I suppose you could also say that Cameron's "Mr. Peterson" impression was an improvisation since he decided to base the voice on someone he and Matthew got to know quite well at their previous gig: Gene Saks (their "Bilouxi Blues" director).

Analyze This

Movies came up a couple times in my Psychology class in 12th grade.
We were talking about Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis model, which consisted of the ID, ego and superego.
In layman's terms, I guess, ego is the individual with the superego and ID being the angel and devil on the individual's shoulders instructing him what to do and what not to do.

Case in point: Ferris Bueller is the ID in the situation, wanting to go all out on this day off, not worrying about the consequences and such.
Cameron is the superego, which constantly bears the norms of society in mind and prefers to stay within those guidelines.

Fascinating stuff... and definitely an interesting way to look at this movie differently.
Sadly, for the record, I'm more of a Cameron than a Ferris, but that's probably a good thing... right?
Highlights

This are so many details to love about this movie it's hard to know where to begin. A lot of them are the little things. Certain quotes, certain pieces of music...

The most notable pieces of music:

• "Danke Schoen"- featured 4 times throughout the movie almost like it was a running joke or an undercurrent theme
• [what I call] Ferris's theme, "Oh Yeah" by Yello. (really no intelligible lyrics to speak off, but the "chicacha" when the music disappears... it's just oddly memorable)
• The Dream Academy's instrumental cover of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" that plays during the museum scene... it just stirs me up inside, so beautiful and a perfect companion for this scene

During the trio's trek through Chicago, we see all kinds of good stuff. I love the Sears tower scene where Ferris says "anything looks peaceful from 1,353 feet" and Cameron's like "I think I see my dad..."
I just learned a couple years ago (as did a lot of other pop culture buffs) that they filmed at an actual Chicago Cubs game and it took place June 5 1985.
The Museum has no dialogue, just the music, but nonetheless one of the most powerful moments in the movie. Cameron having that existential moment with "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat.

Then there's the Frye household, which had been put on the market multiple times. The previous time I took note of a couple years ago, it was for $1.65M.
If I could afford, I think I'd be interested in taking it, even though the 1961 Ferrari GT250 doesn't come with it.
I remember hearing how much people freaked out about its ultimate fate in the movie, the Porsche from "Risky Business" still fresh in their minds... the reassurance came that it wasn't a real Ferrari, but a modified MG sports car.

Early on, what set this movie apart for me: Ferris Bueller breaking the 4th wall, talking to the audience (so much comedic gold there!), simply because it was something I'd never seen before.
It's part of the reason why Zack Morris from "Saved by the Bell" was based on this character because he did the same thing throughout the series.

Then there were a few random moments I can't help but enjoy every time.

• Cameron muttering "Ferris Bueller, you're my hero" after he almost drowns in a pool in a catatonic state after finding the Ferrari had over 3,000 miles on it (curse those valets! j/k, they were freaking hilarious)
• Jeanie ninja-kicking Rooney after discovering him in the house-- priceless
• the entire police station scene!

Jeanie finally gets a chance to air all her grievances and who better to listen than a total stranger.

It's well known that Charlie Sheen stayed awake for 48 hours straight to get the druggie look he has in his cameo. After his 2012 meltdown, I haven't been the biggest fan of his, but I still enjoy his 80's contributions. Especially in this small role. He's exactly what Jeanie needs: a sympathetic ear, but also someone to tell her like it is.

For whatever reason, one quote always stuck with me. He asks her name and she says "It's Jeanie, but my friends call me Shauna" and in the background we hear an echo "Shauna!" from what sounds like a 1950's quartet.

Whenever we hear the name Shauna spoken, my sister and I echo that one line.

And it's strange... such a random quote that has no bearing on the plot whatsoever :P

And despite all the comedic elements, we have a lot seriousness thrown in between so we get an education as well as a good time.
I'm not just talking about Ferris's "How to Fake Out Your Parents" monologue, but what's immediately after. Talking about his dislike of isms and he quotes John Lennon:

"'I don't believe in Beatles. I just believe in me.' Good Point there. After all he was the walrus... I could be the walrus." [hmm... John Hughes was a noted Beatles fan. I wonder if that's the reason Anthony Michael Hall did the 'walrus' line in "The Breakfast Club"]and of course the most poignant line at the beginning and end of the movie:

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

32. Easy A (2010)

Code-name: Skype narr. (short for narrative or narration, I forget which)

Director: Will Gluck
Type: High School dramedy, 80's homage

Cast:
Olive Penderghast- Emma Stone
Rhiannon- Aly Michalka
Marianne -Amanda Bynes
"Woodchuck"/"Lobster" Todd- Penn Badgley
Micah-Cam Gigandet
English Teacher Mr. Griffith-Thomas Haden Church
Guidance Consular Mrs. Griffith-Lisa Kudrow
Brandon- Dan Byrd
Mr. Penderghast- Stanley Tucci
Mrs. Penderghast- Patricia Clarkson
Principal Gibbons- Malcolm McDowell

honorable mention- Juliette Goglia as 8th grade Olive-


her character on "The Michael J. Fox" show was the one I was always most excited to see because I saw a lot of myself in her... still bummed the show got cancelled, but clearly Will Gluck liked her enough in this small role that he gave her this other part.

Notable Nomination:
Golden Globe- Best Actress (comedy/musical)- Emma Stone

Write-up:

I saw the trailer for "Easy A" during one of the many movies I saw in 2010. Something about the premise sounded so intriguing that I couldn't resist.
I remember my mom and I went to a later show around 3 or 4pm. We were the only ones in the theater. We had to remind the concession people know there were actual people in the theater because the film didn't turn on for a while :-P

To me, it was up there with "She's out of your league," both 2010 movies that had really original scripts that I found myself quoting or thinking about quoting for weeks, if not months afterwards. And considering how it blossomed into a homage to John Hughes movies, I had to rewatch "Sixteen Candles," "Pretty in Pink" and I also saw "Say Anything" and "Can't Buy Me Love" for the first time (not John Hughes films, I know, but there were references to them).

Although I had in fact seen her once before in "The House Bunny" (Anna Faris was the only actress that made any sort of impression on me that first time around... after falling in love with the story, the actresses followed, including Kat Dennings), this was the movie that officially made me a fan of Emma Stone.
She owned this character, Olive Penderghast, your typical anonymous high school girl who gained a helluva reputation with a single big fat lie, in such a way... I felt like I could relate to her. Such a quirky personality, much like the version of myself I only saw in my inner circles of family and friends, with a heart full of the best intentions.

As far as girl crushes go, I would love to have Emma Stone's signature look from this movie. That shade of red hair and those stunning green eyes.
And of course, I'd kill to be as comfortable in my own skin as Olive is. No matter what comic mischief she unwittingly gets herself into.

Spoilers ahead!

For those who don't know, the story begins with Olive telling her bestie that she slept with a community college freshman. This lie all started because she needed an excuse not to go camping with Rhi's freaky vegan hippie family.
But that entire weekend, she spent falling in love with "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield. Hilarious from start to finish, this montage that started with her gabbing "worst song ever" to her musical birthday card, led to her singing in the shower (Ferris Bueller style, I might add, so I guess it's like this movie's "Danke Schoen"), and we find out it becomes her ringtone.
(On some VH1 countdown, Natasha Bedingfield even said how much she loved the homage they paid to her song in this movie... now that's awesome).

Of course, with the "strong personality" she has, Rhi winds up forcing Olive to admit to having sex with George... as if she wouldn't buy into the opposite, aka "the truth."
And for whatever reason, the rumor mill goes crazy over this and everyone starts looking at Olive in a different way. This is located in Ojai, California. When you think about it, the story is that she had a one-night stand with a college guy. Why is that a big deal? It's not as if this is a Catholic school and all the teenagers are frigid.

Although... case in point... Olive's biggest foes are the "Cross your Heart" club, led by the biggest Jesus freak of all, Marianne. She overhears Olive's exchange with Rhi in the ladies room and makes it her mission to "save Olive" from her pre-martial sexual desires.

Interestingly, Amanda Bynes (Marianne) and Aly Michalka (Rhi) were known for playing really good people in their respective kid-friendly TV series, but here, they both play the opposite. Who are really good at being bitchy. (Seriously, who constantly calls their bestie "bitch" as if it's a pet name? That's kinda messed up).

Adding to the irony of it all, the book they're studying in English class is "The Scarlet Letter."
Olive even includes this in her narration, how funny it is that the books you read in school have some odd connection to whatever you're going through.
Her English teacher, Mr. Griffith, is a great character for sure. He's got this dry sense of humor with hints of sarcasm strung throughout. And while she's going through the turmoil of her new "based on lies" life, he keeps an eye out for her.

A lot of the adults in Olive's life are written so well, like they're on the same level as the teenagers. The way they interact with each other. Another good example is her parents, the dynamic (or not so much, lol) duo of Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. No matter what's going on, they have Olive's back and don't outwardly overreact to anything she means off the cuff. The most laid-back parents in the history of high school movies 8-)
I guess you could say they embody the spirit of Ojai, which is said to be a very "hippie friendly" city... if you believe Wikipedia, which I often do ;)

Olive narrates over the course of 5 stages. We already had "Part One: The Shudder-Inducing and Cliched, However Totally False Account Of How I Lost My Virginity To A Guy At A Community College." and the rumor mill with "Part Two: The Accelerated Velocity of Terminological Inexactitude."

Then we come around to "Part 3: A Lady's Choice and a Gentleman's Agreement."

At her detention (for calling Marianne's friend, Nina, a bad word from the British slang) with Brandon, she tells him the truth about the rumors and he says he was sent there because he called the principal a fascist... despite the fact he was the one bullied to a bloody nose.
The next day, he asks her to help him convince the school he's straight to make the bullying stop.
And boy do they make a scene about it. At Melody Bostick's party, they have the best fake sex scene ever. Involving brute force and a lot of "Oh yeah's!" from Olive.

She has a fight for Rhi, who is pissed about who she had to hear about this from, and decides to go through another change. Or at least her wardrobe does.

She buys a bunch of lingerie tops and sews a red letter "A" onto them. You'd think that would break a bunch of rules for the dress code. I mean, this is coming from the same place where the Principal threatened to throw her out if she makes one more transgression.
Hard-core stuff, but just love the spirit she embodies throughout this.

After the episode with Brandon, a bunch of guys ask for her help with favors of their own and they all pay her in the forms of gift cards. From Bath & Body to Auto Zone to movie tickets only good at the foreign film theater.
Definitely not your typical high school movie, so I enjoyed every minute of it, unsure of things would follow.

As is often the case, something dramatic does happen that "changes the course of history" as it were. Which brings us to part 4:
"How I, Olive Penderghast went from assumed trollop to and actual home-wrecker."

Another lie had to be told, but this was a big one. Because it was about more than just her and her rumored promiscuity. She did it to cover up an even bigger scandal.
Marianne's guitar strumming boyfriend and fellow Catholic, Micah, finds out that he has chlamydia and blurts out that he got it from Olive. Of course, this is very much a big deal, considering how his family and community are about pre-martial sex, but the truth is even huger...

and as a fan of "Mean Girls," of course I was laughing that they picked this of all the STD's.
"At your age, you're going to have a lot of urges. You're going to want to take off your clothes, and touch each other. But if you do touch each other, you will get chlamydia... and die."

Micah got it from the school's guidance counselor who happens to be married to Olive's English teacher. And to save her favorite teacher's marriage, Olive takes the blame. This, of course, incurs the wrath of the "Cross Your Hearts" club (now including Rhi and a rather random dude dressed in a Quiznoz costume).
While trying to find more out about the religion, we hear One Republic's "Good Life" play in the background (this was a month or two before it became a radio hit... whereas with their better 2010 song "Secrets", played in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" took an extra 3-4 months to do the same). This trek does not go well, when you take into account how long the Bible is, Olive confesses to an empty confessional and almost seeks advice from Marianne's Pastor dad... the most straight-laced character SNL alum and "Portlandia" star Fred Armisen will likely play in his life.

Something else Olive also ponders in this part of her narration: why has no guy actually asked her out on a date? Does that chivalry only exist in 80's movies?

This touched such a tender spot in my heart, I need to share this passage:
"I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I wanna ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me. I want Judd Nelson thrusting his fist into the air because he knows he got me. Just once I want my life to be like an 80's movie, preferably one with a really awesome musical number for no apparent reason. But no, no, John Hughes did not direct my life."

I don't know when Bert V. Royal wrote this movie. Wikipedia says he wrote all but the last 10 pages in 5 days. Also says "Ferris Bueller" was Will Gluck's favorite movie, which explains all the references.
Since John Hughes passed away the previous year (August 6th of an unexpected heart attack), it felt like this movie was paying tribute to him after his passing. Whether that was the intention or not, I can't say, but as a HUGE John Hughes fan, this was just a thought I really appreciated.

Olive gets asked out by a guy, whom she believes is interested in her, only to find out he was under the impression she really was having sex for money (or in this case a $200 Home Depot gift card). Luckily, things don't get super heated and she gets him to back off, but she realizes she needs to rethink things.

It also helps that this guy, Todd, whom we see several times throughout the movie, was willing to give her a ride home and listen to her.
Early on, Olive divuldged the first time she lied to cover up for someone. It was another party at Melody Bostick's and she was in 7 minutes of Heaven with Todd. Neither felt comfortable with kissing, so she agreed to say they did. Amazingly, this was something Todd never forgot either and just how easy-going he is about everything. He was the only person that never judged Olive or bought into the rumors, almost like he's too good to be true, but in this rare exception, he really is good.

When none of the people Olive helped agreed to change their stories for her, Todd helps her stage a kick-ass random musical number at their pep rally in Part 5: Not with a Fizzle but with a Bang!
By the way, I never knew how racy that song "Knock on Wood" was before this.
The purpose of it: to tell everyone about her tell-all webcast, which we've been watching since the beginning.
(According to trivia, Emma Stone did that in 14 hours on the same day and it was how she auditioned for the part).

I won't give too much away about the ending, but let's just say it's one final big fat love letter to John Hughes and 80's movies. When the music started playing in the theater, I flipped out. Just WOW 8-) grinning from ear to ear.
Yeah, that's my idea of epic.

Coming Next Week

A rom-com that almost plays out like a fairytale. Girl from the dodgy end of LA winds up with a super rich businessman. It was the reason a lot of girls fell in love with its male lead. Full of clichés but who doesn't love a cliché?
Probably the most shocking part was that it's not an 80's movie because it has all the makings of it. But it was released in 1990.

Looking at it now, I'm surprised to see all the flack it's getting on IMDB, but for people like my mom and me, it's the definitive chick flick. It just took me a few extra years to fall in love with in the way I have.