THE SPECTACULAR NOW | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE SPECTACULAR NOW"
(2013) (Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Dramedy: A high school senior, who only lives in the here and now, starts dating a wallflower classmate, all while hoping to connect with his long-missing father.

PLOT:

Sutter Keely (MILES TELLER) is known as something of the class clown at his high school. No stranger to alcohol, he's used to partying, especially with his girlfriend, Cassidy (BRIE LARSON). But since he only lives in the here and now and shows no motivation or interest in proceeding beyond the 12th grade, she's broken up with him and is now dating their school's star athlete and class president, Marcus (DAYO OKENIYI).

One day, his classmate, Aimee Finicky (SHAILENE WOODLEY), finds him passed out on her lawn. They end up bonding when he helps her deliver papers on her mom's route, while she helps him find his car. She eventually agrees to tutor him in geometry, and he invites her to prom, which is a big deal as she's never had a boyfriend before.

His interest is platonic, what with his focus being on finding his long-absent father (KYLE CHANDLER) and learning why he left so many years ago. That's something his single mom (JENNIFER JASON LEIGH) thinks is a bad idea, a sentiment initially shared by his older, married sister, Holly (MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD). As Sutter continues on that quest, his relationship deepens with Aimee, with her falling hard for him. From that point on, he tries to figure out how to deal with that, all as his alcoholism and lack of drive threaten to derail his future.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Older teens might be interested, especially since there's some buzz about this flick.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For alcohol use, language and some sexuality - all involving teens.

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