The 4:30 Movie
Writer/director Kevin Smith's latest is slight yet sweet.
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It seems appropriate that writer/director Kevin Smith has finally made a movie about growing up in the 1980s as he’s never really grown up and most of his cultural references still stem from the decade of decadence. Moreover, Smith was one of my guys (alongside the likes of Sam Raimi, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Williamson and John Woo) growing up as a teenager one decade later … and I too never fully matured.
“The 4:30 Movie” (in theaters beginning Friday, Sept. 13 including Indianapolis-area venues Regal UA Galaxy and Regal Greenwood & RPX) is Smith’s stab at a John Hughesian teen comedy romp and it’s largely successful in that aim.
It’s the summer of 1986 in New Jersey and 16-year-old Brian David (Austin Zajur) has the hots for Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong). He works up the courage to call her at work and asks her on an afternoon movie date. She accepts much to the consternation of Brian’s buddy Burnie (Nicholas Cirillo), who callously says she’s flat as a board and easier to nail. Brian and Burnie’s other buddy Belly (Reed Northrup) isn’t bothered by such things – he’s more concerned with saving the “Movie Bacon” his Mom (“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” veteran Betty Aberlin) made for him.
This trio has intentions of doing a triple bill at Atlantic Cinemas (with the Smith co-owned Smodcast Cinemas in Atlantic Highlands, N.J. standing in) overseen by preening prick Manager Mike (an amusing Ken Jeong) by buying tickets to the PG-rated “Astro Blaster and the Beaver-Men” and then sneaking into R-rated fare “Bucklick” (an obvious riff on the admittedly PG “Fletch,” a property to which Smith was once attached) and prototypical ‘80s sex comedy “Dental School.” The boys must avoid and/or distract Mike and his ushers (Genesis Rodriguez, Adam Pally) lest they get busted and subsequently banned. Abundant hijinks and sparser hilarity ensue.
“The 4:30 Movie” is equal parts hokey and heartfelt. It’s the sort of flick where a character says, “If this were my movie the credits would roll now,” and then the closing credits begin rolling. The affectation, like the film itself, is simultaneously cheesy and charming.
I liked “The 4:30 Movie” well enough that I watched the screener twice. It’s a hangout movie and I didn’t mind hanging out with these goofballs. The young cast is pretty likable across the board and it’s fun to see Smith regulars and other cool cats cameo. I could easily see this becoming a comfort watch for plenty of folks out there.
“The 4:30 Movie” is slight (it’s a mere 77 minutes without credits) and sweet, which is a combination that’s hard to beat.