Actor Josh Radnor (‘TV’s How I Met Your Mother’) evidently really misses the good old days in the ’90’s when he was back in College. So much so he wrote himself a cute movie about going back to his old alma mater and wanting to stay : and he not only starred in it, but he directed it too.
Josh plays Jesse a 35 year old man newly dumped by his girlfriend and still trying to make his mark in academia but has ended up as a lowly College Admissions Officer in Manhattan. When he gets an invitation to attend the Retirement Dinner of one of his favourite English Professors, he jumps at the chance at getting into his car and driving back to his old campus at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
The retirement is not a happy affair as the Professor is the throws of admitting to himself that he really doesn’t want to retire at all, and he gives a disastrous farewell speech that brings gasps from the audience. But at a celebration party he introduces Jesse to two friends of his and Zibby their 19 year old daughter who is a student at Kenyon.
Zibby and Jesse hit it off, and after they run into each other again later they have sit up all night talking about ‘Life’ , ‘Litreature’ and heavy idealistic cultural aspirations. Zibby is a ‘Improv ‘ Major and has an infectious energy and vitality that comes with youth, whilst Jesse her senior by 15 years, seems like staid old man in comparison. Nevertheless there is an attraction between them of sorts, but it isn’t until he returns to NY and they start corresponding and recommending reading material and music to listen too, that there is even a hint of romance.
Zibby invites him back to visit and after their ‘date’ she asks Jesse to sleep over. Jesse who has already shown a great ability into ‘over-thinking’ most things in his life, hesitates at first, but then is up for it until Zibby announces she is still a virgin and he cannot get out of the door quick enough.
He goes from one extreme to another and seeks solace in the arms of another of his ex Professors that he has always had a crush on. She is very embittered 50 + year old who hangs out in bars looking for prey, and who makes no secret that she is just using Jesse for sex. The irony is that she teaches English Romantic Literature.
There are other sub-plots that don’t complicate the plot but simply add to the Campus diversity. One involves a hippie philosopher made more noticeable by the fact that he is played by handsome Zac Efron.
Both the Professor and Jesse are too late to turn the clocks back, but in the end Jesse decides he doesn’t really want to after all.
It’s a very likable romantic comedy that is easy to enjoy and it works so well simply because the characters are all rather engaging. Mr Radnor has written a part he is admirable suited for, but for me the real treat was seeing Elizabeth Olsen as Zibby sparkle so brightly in a role much lighter than her usual heavy dramatic roles. True it was a bit of stretch trying to convince us that this 25 year really was 19 year, but aside from that she was such great fun. To complete the casts : the retiring Professor was played by Richard Jenkins, and the man-eater was played by the equally wonderful Alison Janney.
This is Mr Radnor’s 2nd go at directing, and I and the Sundance audience loved the first one
happythankyoumoreplease although some of the heavyweight critics were less than kind. This one fared better, but it’s now out on DVD so you can decide for yourself.
★★★★★★★★
