There’s a new movie opening today called 21 and Over and when I saw the preview a
few months ago, I was horrified. It’s
about two college kids who visit their old friend Jeff Chang on his 21st
birthday so they can celebrate his coming of age together. Thing is, Jeff Chang has a very important
interview the next morning that his stern Chinese father warned him he must be “rested
and sharp” for. Well, the boys convince
Jeff Chang that he has to fight for his right to party and of course, the night
involves profuse amounts of alcohol, half-naked girls, dimwit police officers
and Jeff Chang wearing a bikini. We’ve
seen it all before, right? Wrong.
I have no problem with teenage sex comedies - there is humor
inherent in pubescent boys on a quest to lose their virginity. But 21
and Over goes way past where Porky’s,
American Pie and even The Hangover (21 and Over is from the writers of The Hangover) went. And in The
Hangover, at least the boys behaving recklessly are grown men. 21 and
Over is socially irresponsible in my humble opinion. Jeff Chang is on his path and his idiot
friends convince him to jeopardize his future (and ultimately his life) and it’s
supposed to be funny. Jeff Chang is black
out drunk for a while and his friends decide to throw him off a balcony onto a
covered pool. His comatose body bounces
off the pool cover and into some bushes.
And then they do it again at another point in the movie. And the kid says, “Did we just kill Jeff
Chang - again?” Is this funny?
{By the way, they call him “Jeff Chang” over and over again
in a 3 minute trailer. If his buddies
address him by his full name, how close can they be? And, the choice to call him that by the
writers occurs to me as racist as well.}
How do movies like this even get made? I don’t understand how the MPAA has strict guidelines
about language and nudity in films, but no one seems to care about morality. Maybe they think it’s okay because he’s 21
which is supposed to be an adult, but I don’t.
We have a significant alcohol & drug abuse problem in this country
and we are the embarrassment of the world in education. Kids graduate from high school here without
being able to read and we are putting out garbage films like this that millions
of 17-24 year olds will go to see this weekend, reinforcing appalling values in
them.
Now, I have not seen the entire film (and don't plan to) but I have an idea that
there’s an element in this movie of Jeff Chang’s dad is too hard on him and he
needs to let go and find his own path.
But does that message need to be delivered in this moronic package? I’m also wondering if it’s one of those
situations where they all learn a valuable lesson at the end but I’m thinking…um…probably
not.
I actually saw this movie on a sneak preview several weeks ago. It was a situation in which I knew nothing about the movie I was about to see. Like you, I was appalled in many ways. Alcohol is indeed the lynchpin on which this story hangs. It is the Holy Grail in terms of what it takes to have a good time. Alcohol overcomsuption on every level is what this movie celebrates. I know it's a movie, and the excess is unrealistic, but that's what makes it so much more irresponsible. Some characters who consume massive amounts of alcohol appear to exhibit the effects, others do not. I also want to talk about the ethnic themes.
ReplyDeleteFor many, the movie will score points for the Jeff Chang (whose full name is needlessly repeated) character eventually (possible SPOILER) bucking the stereotype, and many will find this progressive, and the (believe it or not) concern his friends have for him (expressed completely inappropriately), sweet. For me, all this was negated by the cavalier attitude toward alcohol abuse. Don't know how this and movies like Project X get made. Really uncomfortable for me.
Thanks for your insight Aaron. I think we need to keep talking about this idea of ethical responsibility in art and protesting these types of projects by using social media & not going to see them. I hope this movie makes no money and the creators learn a lesson via their pocketbooks. Money is the only language certain people understand.
ReplyDeleteIf money is the only language commerce understands, check this out. 21 And Over made only $9 million in 2,771 theaters during its' opening weekend. Unless word-of-mouth takes over, the grosses are usually downhill from there. The studio may profit because it couldn't have been that expensive to make, and it seems their promo budget was spent on TV and viral ads.
ReplyDeleteOh, then in 3 months, the disc will come out, and that's when the distributor hopes to make the money, maybe more than it's ultimate theatrical gross. But at least for now, I can gloat on the low weekend numbers!
Sometimes I don't know why I worry, when movies like this rarely make big bucks, especially when the target audience is the one portrayed in the film.
I am so glad Jack the Giant ($27 mil) slayed 21 and Over. There is hope for civilization after all...
ReplyDelete