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I came late to the party where Judd Apatow’s
cult TV show Freaks and Geeks is concerned. It was only after enjoying The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, both written and
directed by Apatow, that I gave in to my wife’s nagging and gave Freaks and Geeks a shot. It was
everything that she and the critics said it was — a smart, hilarious,
and at times heartbreaking look at the high-school experience of one group
of kids during the ’80s. Although Apatow is only listed as a producer
of the new comedy Superbad, it has his fingerprints all over it. Like Freaks and Geeks, it effectively
shifts tone throughout, plunging us into the most awkward of situations,
then shifting gears to deliver uproarious laughs while delivering sincere
messages on friendship, loyalty, and acceptance. Unlike the American Pie movies, this
film has a degree of heart and intelligence that’s all too rare in
teen comedies. Seth, Evan, and Fogell (Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and
Christopher Mintz-Plasse, respectively) are three high-school outcasts who,
in their senior year, are desperate to break free from the stigma of being
nerds. Seth suffers from a massive insecurity complex, Evan’s obesity
keeps him on the outside looking in where the high-school social hierarchy
is concerned, and timid Fogell — well, let’s just say he
operates on a different wavelength. The plot is simple: Seth and Evan have been invited to
a party by the elusive and beautiful Jules (Emma Stone) but must score some
alcohol to gain admission. Though this would seem an impossible task for
them to complete, the fact that Fogell has a fake ID gives them a glimmer
of hope, but over the course of one very long night things go from bad to
worse as the boys find themselves separated — Fogell’s keeping
company with two inept cops (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader), and Seth and Evan
wind up at another party that has a very bad vibe. Some gags fall flat, but most of them are right on the
mark, capturing that high-school angst in which insecurity rules and doubt
undercuts your every thought and action. Physical comedy butts up against
sordid scenes of sexual awkwardness and fear, and nearly all of it is
executed with perfect timing. Although Fogell’s misadventures with
the two cops become a bit repetitious, Mintz-Plasse steals nearly every
scene he’s in. There’s a sense of exuberance to the
actor’s performance that’s obvious and infectious and helps the
film over some rough patches. Although the film does run too long, this can be
forgiven, because director Greg Mottola is trying to develop solid
relationships among the characters. In the end, their believable bond of
friendship and loyalty, not the gags and laughs, is what endures.
This article appears in Aug 9-15, 2007.
