The Wackness

Rating:

* * * *

Verdict:

A celebration of everything that was good and bad about the 90s.

It's the summer of 1994, and Luke Shapiro (Peck) is about to graduate from his New York high school. A loner with an obligatory dose of teenage angst, Shapiro deals marijuana to help his cash-strapped family, and blocks out his parents' incessant arguing with hip-hop.

Luke's one confidant is a messed-up psychiatrist, Dr Squires (Kingsley), who counsels Luke in exchange for dope. Facing the demise of his marriage, Squires is self-medicating heavily and so while not best placed to hand out advice, encourages Luke to embrace life's ups and downs rather than "go for the quick fix" through drugs.

These two unlikely friends spend the summer together, bonding over a common desire to get laid, but their friendship is tested when Luke sets his sights on Squires' stepdaughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby).

The Wackness (or "badness" for those not down with 90s jargon) starts off a bit too cool and try-hard, with its edgy characters, hip-hop soundtrack, and dry witty script. In the end though, it's these qualities that elevate this from being just another coming-of-age story.

Peck and Kinglsey do a great job taking what could have been unappealing characters and making us care about them. Kingsley in particular is delightful to watch as he stumbles through his mid-life crisis, dishing out mostly dubious advice and pretending to be down with the kids.

You'll get more out of this film if you have a good memory of the mid-nineties - a decade best remembered for sneakers you could pump up with air, and catchphrases such as "word" - but it's not required. Underneath its cool exterior The Wackness is a moving story about first love, growing up (no matter your age), and realising that life doesn't always have to be "wack".

Francesca Rudkin

Cast:

Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley

Director:

Jonathan Levine

Running time:

99 mins

Rating:

R18 (Drug Use, Sex Scenes & Offensive Language)