The Spectacular Now Directed by: James Ponsoldt Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson Rating: R Release Date: August 2, 2013
Trailer Score: 9/10
Thoughts by TSR: I had every reason to be looking forward to this. For one thing, there was the strong reaction out of Sundance earlier this year. There was also the fact that I was a big fan of James Ponsoldt’s Smashed, particularly because of the performances and the terrific non-judgmental screenplay. Then there was Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley, two performers who blew me away in recent years (Teller opposite Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole and Woodley opposite George Clooney in The Descendants). And yet for some reason I wasn't thinking of it as one of my most anticipated films of the summer. With one of my most anticipated films of the year, Pacific Rim, on the horizon, perhaps I just lost sight of this smaller one. This fantastic trailer set me straight, and now The Spectacular Now holds its rightful place as a film I can’t wait to see.
Teller and Woodley dominate this trailer, but it’s not in a showy or off-putting way. The glimpses we get of their characters together are outstanding, and I can’t wait to see the relationship grow in full. Ponsoldt put Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul together with fantastic results in Smashed. This film’s pairing might look even better as the two of them are absolutely charming together. It all rings true as well, both the good moments such as Teller’s Sutter asking Woodley’s Aimee to his sister’s dinner party and Sutter’s blow up in the car when he tells her she needs to get away from him. I knew Winstead had a role in this, but the trailer gets bonus points for cluing me in on the presence of other awesome people such as Kyle Chandler, Bob Odenkirk, and Brie Larson. Coming on the heels of the very good Smashed, I had high hopes for Ponsoldt’s next. If The Spectacular Now lives up to this excellent trailer, those expectations should be met and then some.