Ok, first and foremost, I have to start with that I grew up in the eighties. I was born in 1975, and about the time this movie is set, summer of 1988, I was about to go into 8th grade and wasn’t as old as the characters are in this movie. However, that doesn’t make me appreciate this movie any less.
That being said, the totally awesome flick “Take Me Home Tonight” is a blast from the past that I could relive again and again. While movie goers this weekend flocked to see the latest flick from Johnny Depp or Matt Damon, this little movie starring “That 70′s Show” Topher Grace slipped in well under the radar, except my radar. From the fun loving trailers to the song that the title of the movie is based on blasting through the promos for this film, I had to go and see it.
Apparently, though, not everyone had the same hankering to see this film like I did. My viewing theater at noontime on Saturday of opening weekend had 3 people watching the movie, and that included me. What was great though is that all 3 of us laughed our collective rear ends off at this movie!
The movie opens with our hero, Matt (Topher Grace) working at a job as a retail clerk in a Suncoast Motion Picture Video store. As a former sales clerk in the mid-nineties of the same retail chain I can tell you the movie makers got a lot right here, from store layout to uniform and the look of Topher’s character, Matt Franklin, working in the store as a worn down, bored, but highly bright retail associate. How bright? Well let’s just say you learn through the film that he just moved back home from 4 years at M.I.T. and is figuring out his next step. As Matt whittles away his work day after spending a little time talking with his twin sister, Wendy (Anna Faris), and his best friend, Barry (Dan Fogler), he sees his dream girl and high school crush walk in the door, Tori (Teresa Palmer). He frantically finds a quick way to ditch his work gear, and walk in the store front door, acting as if he is just a customer too, and the two strike up a conversation. A small white lie later about where he works now, and he finds himself invited to a party that night to see her…
And what a night it is. From Grand Theft Auto, to numerous jokes about eighties staples like dance offs, cocaine use, strange sex acts, popped up yuppie collars, and all the insecurities of high school still hitting you when you are fresh out of college, this movie delivers it all. I don’t want to give it all away, but it is safe to say that if you lived at any part of the eighties in your life, you will enjoy this movie immensely. And if you were born in 1990 or later, go see this movie to get a fun and wacky feel of what the eighties were like.
Looking at the performances, Anna Faris feels a little underused in her comedic talents, but gives a fun performance as the twin with heart and who loves her brother very much. Dan Fogler of “Fanboys” fame is outstanding as Barry, and the real comedy heart of this film. When Barry, who ends up getting a little dosed up on some cocaine, the eighties go-to drug of choice of course, he goes on to make stupendously bad choices but somehow ends up clean in the end. Teresa Palmer as Tori starts off as the typically stuck-up material girl of the eighties in the beginning, but as her and Matt spend more and more time together, you see she is more than the sum just her good looks and ditzy girl friends. What’s also nice to see is the transformation of the character from fake, emotionless smiles and laughs, to sincere honest emotions when she begins to let her walls down a bit. And Topher as Matt, learns that even if you don’t have it all figured out, you gotta keep taking chances till something sticks. The way his dad, as played by Michael Biehn, teaches that to him is one of the funnier bits in the movie. As for Topher, he is the everyman hero in these sorts of roles, and it suits him well here too. Though I am not sure how many more of these period pieces he can do, he’s done the 70′s, he’s done the 80′s, can we hope to see him the 90′s next?
I do have to note here as well I was surprised by two things. One, a cameo appearance by Michelle Trachtenberg as Ashley, a goth dressing naughty girl who ends up liking Barry a lot more after one of his crazy stunts. I am sorry, but “Dawn” from the Buffy TV show has no business looking that hot in goth. Really. Two, the title of the movie is taken from the song “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector, right? And the song appeared in the trailers that got me excited for the film, right? And the movie had lots of great eighties hits playing through out, right? So why does THIS song, the title of the movie, not appear in the film or soundtrack AT ALL? If I have any real gripe about this movie, that’s it.
Aside from my one gripe about one song exclusion, this movie is a ride you will want to take again. Much like Doc and Marty riding a DeLorean (which that model car also has a small 3 second cameo in the movie) riding back to the past in their movie, this movie is your ride back to the past that is the eighties. A fun ride I can’t wait to take again when it comes out on home video. I just hope I can find a Suncoast to by my VHS copy in huge clam shell packaging.
- TheMatrix8475
“Take Me Home Tonight” Movie Trailer
“Take Me Home Tonight”
Movie Review
Date Watched : 03/05/2011
Directed By:
Michael Dowse
Written By:
Jackie Filgo (screenplay) & Jeff Filgo (screenplay)
Topher Grace (story) & Gordon Kaywin (story)
Starring:
Topher Grace as Matt Franklin (That 70′s Show, Spider-Man 3)
Anna Faris as Wendy Franklin (Scary Movie Francise)
Dan Fogler as Barry Nathan (Fanboys)
Teresa Palmer as Tori Frederking (I Am Number Four, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
Michael Biehn as Bill Franklin (Terminator, The Rock)