Ahhh, the iconic prom night, a night after which nothing will be the same. Or at least that’s what you think when you’re young. One of my favorite movie subgenres is teen comedies. What can I say, American Pie was the movie that introduced me to this genre and I haven’t been the same since. And just to be clear, the movie we’re talking about today is not as raunchy or crude as that masterpiece. Bart Got a Room is a charming and authentic teen comedy with a Jewish twist. Despite the title, we will actually be following Danny, a geeky high school student under a lot of pressure.
You see, prom is just around the corner, and one of the geekiest kids in his school, Bart, not only got a date but he also got a room for after the prom. Hence the title of this movie. Bart Got a Room does follow the classic and very predictable high school slash coming-of-age comedy formula. However, the script feels so realistic and authentic that it instantly makes you forget about that. The reason why the script is so good is because Brian Hecker based it on his childhood. A lot of the stuff is made up but a lot of it is true. And not only it is true but it feels true.
The whole movie feels like it could happen in reality. And I’m sure you’re going to recognize some of the characters here. Speaking of which, the cast did a terrific job. We’ve got dependable William H. Macy rocking a jewfro, seductive Jennifer Tilly, eccentric Kate Micucci, and Steven Kaplan nailing his first role. He plays Danny with such confidence and emotion that I’m sure he’ll go on to achieve great things. I also loved Macy’s character, a divorced middle-aged man trying to hook up with literally every single woman he meets.
Infinitely charming and just enough quirky, Bart Got a Room will serve as a refreshing break from all those other in-your-face teen comedies. I think it’s quite risky to go for a deadpan type of humor because it can often just fall flat on the ground. That is not what happened here as it is the deadpan style of humor which highlights the bizarre nature of our everyday lives. Despite the storm in our heads and hearts, the body itself remains still and frozen without a proper reaction. Something I think we all experienced when we were younger.
Just four years earlier, Napoleon Dynamite offered another vision of a quirky teen struggling and winning in high school. If you’ve been reading Subversive Rabbit, you know that I usually avoid these slower, a bit quirky, and wholesomely mainstream teen comedies. I mean, a movie has to be really good for me to check it out. Honest and heartwarming, Bart Got a Room is definitely a movie worth watching. If, however, you’re looking for something a bit edgier, do check out a parody of prom night movies Not Another Teen Movie.
Director: Brian Hecker
Writer: Brian Hecker
Cast: William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Steven Kaplan, Alia Shawkat, Chad Jamian Williams,
Fun Facts: Parts of the movie were shot at Hollywood Hills High School (Hollywood, Florida), the same school director and writer Brian Hecker attended.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472050/
