***½ The Spectacular Now (August 2013) – Theatre

Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson. On the rebound, popular teenager Sutter Keely unexpectedly takes up with the decidly less popular Aimee Finecky, and the relationship develops in a way neither expects.

She says: Apparently we’re seeing all the indie movies about teenagers this summer. Like The Way, Way Back, this one also focuses on a teenage boy, but he’s three years older and couldn’t be more diffferent in character than Duncan in that movie. Sutter is charming and outgoing and fun and apparently at ease with himself—but appearances can be deceiving.

Sutter planned to just mark time with Aimee Finecky while trying to woo ex-girlfriend Cassidy back, but to the surprise of both of them, the relationship turns into something real and meaningful. This movie is hardly schmoopy and simple-minded, though. Sutter has his issues—including alcoholism—and his confronting them isn’t always pretty.

All the young actors in this are very good, and while certainly attractive, notably look less movie star-like than I can remember seeing in a long time.

He says: Yes, that had enough plot for me; I definitely got into the story. It just seemed to real, and that made the sad parts sadder. And I loved that open ending.