This film isn’t completely pro-single, but I include it here for two reasons: 1) (spoiler alert) the protagonist doesn’t wind up coupled at the end of the film (and definitely shouldn’t); and 2) the movie is so well-written and well-acted that I just can’t not write about it. The plot description, about a 17-year-old cinephile who works in a video store, spoke to me. Because I was one. At that age, I wanted to be the next Steven Spielberg (and we all know how that turned out).
The film takes place in 2003, back when we had to go to video stores for our movie choices rather than just download them. And I miss those days. There was a feeling of community in going to the store to pick movies with your friends. And I enjoyed being able to talk about movies with co-workers and customers (although working behind the register wasn’t enjoyable, nor was having to deal with the constant flow of returns, which weren’t going to make it back to the shelves by themselves). There’s a morbidly funny line, where a supervisor tells Lawrence, the movie’s protagonist, “You could have a long future in the video rental industry.” Sigh.
Lawrence is a movie lover, which I was even at that age, so I could immediately relate. The character is written beautifully and should be used a model for aspiring fiction writers, whether in prose, play, or screen form. He can be cruel to the people closest to him (namely, his single Mom and his best friend, Matt), and yet, be completely vulnerable and sympathetic while suffering a panic attack in the back room of the video store.
The plot takes the form of a simple coming-of-age story. While a movie genius, Lawrence lacks a great deal of social skills, often saying the first thing that comes to his mind. For example, your high school best friend may be a “placeholder,” but dude, you don’t say that out loud!
One could argue the movie is a bit amatonormative, as Matt becomes romantically involved with a classmate, who’s just as knowledgeable about film as Lawrence. And Lawrence is just vicious to her (I’ll let you see it for itself). By the film’s end, their friendship has dissolved, but there is hope they may reunite after they part ways for college (Lawrence is hoping for Tisch School of the Arts, but settles for nearby Carleton College).
Lawrence isn’t romantically involved by movie’s end; in fact, I think he may be aromantic, despite a crush on Alana, his troubled store manager. Or, at the very least, on the asexual spectrum. Case in point: when masturbation-obsessed Matt gets on him for not being the least bit interested in sex, Lawrence responds, “I’d rather watch Goodfellas.” Me too.
There is, however, the possibility that he may be able to make friends after Alana tutors him in Social Skills 101. He takes her advice on “ask questions about them” to the extreme, much to a potential new friend’s amusement.
There are times I can overlook a “not necessarily pro-single stance” enough to write about a movie and include it on a list because it’s so brilliantly written and hits close to home. I wanted to go to Tisch too, but I settled on SUNY Plattsburgh. During senior year, I took a Creative Writing course to help my skills as an aspiring TV writer. It prompted my move to a Master’s in English, then the doctorate, then tenure-track, tenure, etc.