IMDb > The Wackness (2008)
The Wackness
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The Wackness (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 40 | slideshow) Videos (see all 31)
The Wackness (2008) -- This is the final theatrical trailer for The Wackness, directed by Jonathan Levine.
The Wackness (2008) -- Clip: How old are you?
The Wackness (2008) -- MyMovies.Net - Exclusive interview with Jonathan Levine and Olivia Thirlby (WMV)
The Wackness (2008) -- "CBS News RAW:" Stars Method Man, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, and director Jonathan Levine discuss their new hip-hop infused summer movie "The Wackness," which opens on July 3rd.
The Wackness (2008) -- This is the third theatrical trailer for The Wackness, directed by Jonathan Levine.

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   11,512 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Jonathan Levine (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Wackness on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
29 August 2008 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Sometimes it's right to do the wrong things. more
Plot:
It's the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop. Set against this backdrop, a lonely teenager named Luke Shapiro spends his last summer before university selling marijuana throughout New York City, trading it with his unorthodox psychotherapist for treatment, while having a crush on his stepdaughter. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
Left Me Feeling Quite Melancholy, but Satisfied more (55 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for pervasive drug use, language and some sexuality.
Runtime:
99 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
"The What?" performed by The Notorious B.I.G. feat. 'Method Man' is playing when Luke visits his supplier Percy, who happens to be played by Method Man himself. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: During the scene where Luke and Dr. Squires are walking near Times Square, an advertisement for a Pontiac Solstice can clearly be seen in the background. The production year for this car began after 2005. more
Quotes:
Stephanie: It doesn't matter.
Luke Shapiro: Doesn't matter? Why not?
Stephanie: Because how could anything possibly matter right now?
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Can I Kick It? more

FAQ

Is "The Wackness" based on a novel?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
17 out of 31 people found the following comment useful.
Left Me Feeling Quite Melancholy, but Satisfied, 6 July 2008
7/10
Author: ericjams from United States

The Wackness is an extremely difficult movie to figure out. On one hand, writer/director Jon Levine paints a captivating story around the friendship of two identifiable protagonists in depressed teenage drug dealer Luke Shapiro, played by an up-to-the-task Josh Peck, and eccentric shrink, Dr. Squires, played by a barely up to the task Ben Kingsley. On the other hand, the script itself struggles to find a tone largely fumbling the 1994 NYC setting and ultimately dabbling with dark comedy, philosophy 101, and drug/party filled 90s teenage musings without really nailing down any thematic voice. The movie does succeed in escaping its hazy plot lines and sophomoric personalities with several great one-liners, some decent character development, and a conclusion that left me satisfied but nevertheless a bit sad --which is not a bad thing. Of the 80% filled NYC theater I saw it in, 10 people walked out, the rest applauded at the end. Its that kind of movie.

One of the biggest problems with the movie is its failure to use the 1994 New York City setting to its fullest. As a product of this time and place I felt cheated because Mr. Levine chooses to exploit tid-bits of the culture without ever really showing any substance. We hear references to Kurt Cobain and Phish, we see Luke playing Nintendo NES, we hear a good selection of Biggie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Tribe Called Quest and several references to the Guliani gestapo police, but Levine failed to create a teenage period piece to rival Dazed and Confused, Kids, or Mallrats to name a few more recent ones. The cinematography is good, and adds a vintage type feel to the NYC background, but as a cultural snapshot of a time in NYC history, this movie falls flat.

However, Levine was perhaps preoccupied with a greater goal than a period piece. Shapiro and Dr. Squires are not easy characters to support. Shapiro is a bulk sales weed dealer, with no friends, and a stunted sex life. I think many people will be able to relate to him either directly or indirectly and will enjoy following his teenage "coming of age" tribulations as I did. Kingsley, as Squires, has a tough role and at times plays the stoner shrink as though he has early onset Alzheimer's disease. Its not an easy role, his character is a walking contradiction who mixes decent psychological advice with occasional moments of idiocy. At times he nails it down, at others he comes across as the drunk uncle at Thanksgiving dinner that we are all a bit embarrassed for, but this was probably Levine's intention. Amidst writing that ebbed and flowed at a mediocre level, the dialog between Shapiro and Squires had some knock outs and worked its way up to a satisfying conclusion. The peripheral characters perform admirably when asked, except for Famke Jannsen who failed to show up for her role as Squires' numb to life wife.

If you have ever turned to the recreational consumption of drugs or any other vice as an escape from life or to just 'deal' with life, you will find both Shapiro and Squires much much much more sympathetic and in some ways touching characters. The story of the young Shapiro and old Squires blends the themes of 'soothing your growing pains through drugs (mostly marijuana)' versus the 'trying to go back to your youth and escape your adulthood' through drugs. People who can appreciate or relate to such plot lines will find this movie much more touching than those who cant.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Wackness (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Just because there was drugs and Hip-hop doesn't make this a good movie element_0f_s0n1c_def1ance
Looking For The Sundance Version zeldamike68
Josh Peck ccsimenson
Whoa, Dude PoisonApplez
Raise your hand if you couldn't make it through the whole movie mets811
Shower Sex Scene fishguts16182
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