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Released by: Well Go USA
Released on: October 2nd, 2012
Directed by: Tom Morris
Starring: Chris Sheffield, Maiara Walsh, Bobby Campo, Mercedes Masohn, Janeane Garofalo, and Larry Miller
Year: 2012
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The Movie
The coming-of-age teen comedy. There's been tons of them, and even though we've seen stories like this many times before, the tale endures. Part of this is because of the wide variety of styles that the Teen Comedy takes; they can be funny, raunchy, sexy, poignant, sappy, or in the case of this one…flat out fun. General Education is just a plain fun movie. It doesn't push the boundaries of taste, it doesn't attack you with a ridiculously saccharine love story, and it doesn't try and force a preachy message down your throat. What this movie does is try and tell the audience a simple, relatable story about a senior in High School, and it tries to make you laugh. And it does this very well.
Levi Collins (Chris Sheffield) looks to be on the right track. HIs father is the mayor, his brother is a tennis pro, and he's about to graduate and he already has a tennis scholarship to the local university, to his father's delight. There's only one problem with all of this…Levi failed his Science class and isn't going to graduate. Knowing how important this all is, Levi and his motley crew of friends all team up to help ensure he graduates, and make sure his future will work out.
Sounds simple? It is. This is a little movie that knows it will be hampered by making things too over the top, or too wacky. This movie works so well BECAUSE it is simple, taking believable characters, realistic situations, and just letting the story unfold. Staying within the confines of it's PG-13 rating, it manages to make this story extremely funny, very engaging, and at times even touching. All of this is a testament to it's script, and it's cast, who seem made for each other.
Being a story based around high school characters, we are dealing with a lot of young actors. Usually, modern movies about this age group will get me shaking my head quickly with it's numerous cliches and unlikable brats, and this flick avoids this pitfall. Not only are all of the young actors believable, likable, and handle the comic timing well, the characters themselves are also well-rounded and realistic. We don't have cliches, here. We have actual people. Their mannerisms and reactions all ring true, and not one of them felt gratuitous, or inserted merely to be "goofy" and bring about cheap laughs. Sheffield is extremely likable as Levi, and Maiara Walsh, is not only a beautiful, talented young woman, but she plays Levi's love interest Katie with a believable ease. Above that, this actress has a smile that can light up a room, and she lights up the screen numerous times. Levi's summer quest is also joined by numerous friends, from a 20 year old senior named Shady Nick, his injured brother Brian, a wheelchair bound school office employee, and his 13-year-old "sidekick" named Charles. All good characters, all bring something to the table, and all are funny.
Among all the young actors, we do have a couple of comedic veterans onscreen playing Levi's parents, and they come in the form of Janeane Garofalo and Larry Miller, both of whom I am a huge fan of. Miller's classic, sarcastic, deadpan delivery fits the character of the aloof father perfectly, and Garofalo shows us a side of her we rarely get to see. Full disclosure, I've been a longtime fan of hers for many years, whether it be her stand up, The Ben Stiller Show, Larry Sanders, etc…I love Janeane. Here she plays a wife and mother who feels ignored by her own family, and who doesn't know how to deal with it all. It's a small part, but she really brings something touching and relatable to it…and still manages to make us laugh.
That's really all there is to it. a simple story delivered by way of a fantastic script and a really good cast who handle all of the comedic elements well. It's not dirty, it's just funny. This isn't an American Pie-type raunchfest, and it isn't a heartstring pulling comedy with a heartfelt message…it's just a funny, entertaining, highly watchable comedy. The interesting thing is, I didn't realize how rare those were anymore until I was watching the movie.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The movie is presented in 1080p high defintiion 1.78.1 widescreen and in terms of audio we have a DTS-HD 5.1 mix. The movie was shot on HD, and the cinematography does what it is supposed to do in comedy, it showcases the characters, as well as the joke, and keeps the audience moving along with the flow. The movie looks quite great, all of the locations are interesting to watch the characters interact with, and the movie has decent music throughout.
In terms of extras we get the comedy disc staple of the outtakes reel, and it is peppered with some really funny moments. Like the movie it illicit some solid chuckles as well as a few honest belly laughs. Aside from the outtakes, we also get a Making Of featurette that features interviews with the cast and crew, along with some more outtakes and BTS footage. It is abundantly clear how much fun was had by all involved. That the writers, producers, and director all truly believed in the story they were telling, and they were able to assemble a cast that just "got it," and were able to bring their story to the screen. The fun they were having is infectious, and it definitely makes it's way into the movie. Both of these features are well worth watching if you enjoyed the movie, and after seeing what kind of atmosphere this team is able to create on set, you will be looking forward to whatever they do next.
The disc also has a commentary track with director Tom Harris, the producers, and the sound editor. It's pretty typical crew commentary stuff. Some anecdotes, story of how the film came into existence, etc etc. It's entertaining, and I'm sure it will be of some use and service to young independent filmmakers hoping to go the comedic route with their work.
The Final Word:
I really enjoyed this movie, plain and simple. It's nothing groundbreaking, and it's nothing world-changing, it's just a damn funny teen-comedy. It has a great script, a stellar cast, some really solid laughs, and a lot of heart. I almost hate to say it, but one of the best words I can use to describe this movie is that it's, "cute." It's a cute little movie. It stays within the confines of it's PG-13 rating, it never sets out to shock the audience, it just wants to make us smile. It accomplishes this goal, and I commend the movie for it. If you want to just have some good laughs, and watch something entertaining, then I really think this movie should be on your list of movies to check out. It's not for everybody, but those of us who are still a sucker for the teen comedies we grew up on, it's worthwhile. If you are someone who's in high school or college, I HIGHLY recommend this movie. You will relate to it, you will definitely recognize aspects of your own experiences in it, and you will definitely laugh. Yeah, it's not complex. That's why it's so entertaining, it's just a plain, old fashioned, fun movie. Give it a shot.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
