EVERYBODY WANTS SOME feels much less a companion piece to BOYHOOD (as Richard Linklater has stated) than a reshaping of the iconic DAZED AND CONFUSED. Shots, events and character types of both movies show us the antics of unsupervised young adults run wild, although now the setting is college - not high school (I would liken it to the Goodfellas/Casino relationship). As a result, it's impossible to watch or rate Everybody Wants Some without comparing to its 1993 predecessor.
The different characters from Everybody Wants Some (and the actors they play them), however, aren't as vibrant as the ones from Dazed And Confused, making it a far from a masterpiece. Not to mention, Linklater (who is known for his impeccable authenticity in casting) cast the oldest-looking group of 25/30 year old actors you could find, making it hard to buy them as college kids.
Furthermore, the lead - a confident baseball player arriving for his first year on campus - played by Blake Jenner - falls disappointingly short of the typical Linklater hero. The whole script, which follows Jenner and an overabundant number of his college baseball teammates, does have a few moments to grab laughs but it keeps being dragged down by its lack of personalities. That being said, Linklater has the remarkable ability to find the truth in young adult life and verbalize it unlike most fictional storytellers and he delivers here. Unfortunately, in contrast to his high calibre of work, he's fallen a little off the base with this one.
Ted's Grade: A disappointing B minus for an A student.
The different characters from Everybody Wants Some (and the actors they play them), however, aren't as vibrant as the ones from Dazed And Confused, making it a far from a masterpiece. Not to mention, Linklater (who is known for his impeccable authenticity in casting) cast the oldest-looking group of 25/30 year old actors you could find, making it hard to buy them as college kids.
Furthermore, the lead - a confident baseball player arriving for his first year on campus - played by Blake Jenner - falls disappointingly short of the typical Linklater hero. The whole script, which follows Jenner and an overabundant number of his college baseball teammates, does have a few moments to grab laughs but it keeps being dragged down by its lack of personalities. That being said, Linklater has the remarkable ability to find the truth in young adult life and verbalize it unlike most fictional storytellers and he delivers here. Unfortunately, in contrast to his high calibre of work, he's fallen a little off the base with this one.
Ted's Grade: A disappointing B minus for an A student.