Richard Linklater's latest film is a part auto-biographical tale that takes us back to the 1980s in the company of a group of testosterone-fuelled undergraduate baseball players billeted in their own frat house at the fictitious Southeast Texas University, where the coach announces that are only two rules, 'NO booze and NO girls in your bedrooms!' – Yeah right!
Jake (Blake Jenner) is the laid back freshman pitcher who we first meet driving to college 3 days before term begins, his car stereo belting out 'My Sharona' with his collection of vinyl records carefully in tow. After encountering his upperclass men there only time to deposit his record collection as he and his freshman counterpart Plummer (Temple Baker) begin a weekend odyssey of chasing girls, drinking, parties, dancing, recovery and then begin again. Some off-season baseball practice including freshman induction is thrown into the weekend frolics for good measure!
There isn't much in the way of plot, we are merely hanging out with the characters for the weekend. On the surface this is a formulaic collegiate sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll rites of passage tale, with shades of National Lampoon's Animal House, Porky's and American Pie. While the film gives us more than a smattering of well-trodden clichés, the direction of Linklater infuses more depth and nuance to a funny essay on the exploits of young people in a brief moment of time.
Scenes and musical background shift from frat house to car to bar to party to house to party via the disco floor, including Kool and the Gang's 'Ladies Night', country line dancing ('Cotton Eyed Joe' – really?) and a punk concert mosh pit accompanied by 'Alternative Ulster' by Stiff Little Fingers; any venue is embraced in the pursuit a good time.
Finn (Glenn Powell) is the senior who takes the role of learned guide with a nice twist in self-deprecation that inclines a nod to Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot. Willoughby (Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt and Goldie Hawn) is a blond haired pot head pitcher cum west coast philosopher who dispenses pearls of wisdom to his impressionable protégées whilst passing round the pipe. Early in the piece, Beverley (Zoey Deutch) the only relevant female character in this male-dominated piece, gives as good as she gets as disregards the wise cracking seniors but quite likes 'the quiet guy in the back seat', but her role is rather incidental to Linklater's primary focus.
There are excellent contributions from the ensemble including Jake's straight laced homesick farm boy roommate, Billy 'Beuter' Awtry (Will Brittain) and Jay (Juston Street) who may be on the verge of being signed up by a major league team or may simply be a neurotic narcissist with anger management issues.
Linklater (Boyhood, Dazed and Confused) has previously launched new talents towards the mainstream; Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey to name but two; so look out for these actors.
This enjoyable movie has a real feeling of optimism for the life ahead, a great soundtrack and joy and excitement at the fun yet to be had.
Oh yes! The title of the film? Well that's actually comes from the title of a Van Halen song, and which is why there are double exclamation marks!!