David Chase likes to take us on wild rides; we learned that about him watching The Sopranos. This movie is like taking a wild ride in a Plymouth Valiant instead of a cherry '57 Chevy with candy-apple paint and tuck and roll interior. We never go so fast that we lose our perspective.
What makes a ride wild is the driver. If he or she drives especially fast, the wildness is based on fear. If the driving is to places we know nothing about, the wildness is fueled by the excitement of discovery. Another form of wildness is being seen by people we hope to impress, to be thought of as cool, even for just a moment, is better than sex for a lot of teenagers.
The kids are in discovery throughout this movie. There is nothing new in a story about kids being influenced by rock stars to form a band, nor is there anything new about kids rejecting the established norms of their parents and expressing their discontent in the way they talk, dress, and relate to those around them. What is fresh in Chase's movie is how he uses an ensemble motif to teach us how and why the children of the 60's made a difference. The revolution they sought never really happened. Social immaturities such as racism and sexism have endured, after all. Senseless warfare has persisted. What did happen is that a generation of children, the infamous baby boomers, took their discoveries into middle age and beyond, controlling the socio-economic fabric for 50 years instead of just 20, like their predecessors. Chase imparts this lesson by telling us a great story while keeping our toes tapping with some great music.
What makes a ride wild is the driver. If he or she drives especially fast, the wildness is based on fear. If the driving is to places we know nothing about, the wildness is fueled by the excitement of discovery. Another form of wildness is being seen by people we hope to impress, to be thought of as cool, even for just a moment, is better than sex for a lot of teenagers.
The kids are in discovery throughout this movie. There is nothing new in a story about kids being influenced by rock stars to form a band, nor is there anything new about kids rejecting the established norms of their parents and expressing their discontent in the way they talk, dress, and relate to those around them. What is fresh in Chase's movie is how he uses an ensemble motif to teach us how and why the children of the 60's made a difference. The revolution they sought never really happened. Social immaturities such as racism and sexism have endured, after all. Senseless warfare has persisted. What did happen is that a generation of children, the infamous baby boomers, took their discoveries into middle age and beyond, controlling the socio-economic fabric for 50 years instead of just 20, like their predecessors. Chase imparts this lesson by telling us a great story while keeping our toes tapping with some great music.
Top Box Office
- 1.$70.2M
- 2.$35.8M
- 3.$23.9M
- 4.$3.2M
- 5.$3.0M
- 6.$2.8M
- 7.$2.3M
- 8.$2.2M
- 9.$2.2M
- 10.$1.2M