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| Available at Amazon.com |
High school…either the best years of your life or a complete waste of time. It all depends on how you look at things and if you really care what you are doing. I know that my high school years were torn between the worst times of my life and the best. For the first two years I sat quietly and proceeded not to socialize which made my life a living hell at school and away. Getting sick of being a nobody, I moved on and decided it was best just to get involved and by the time my senior year rolled around, my résumé included playing four sports and being school president. Never were any of my high school moments like this though.
Carl, Polly, Chauncey, and Tom are a close group of friends who are looking forward to their graduation day, which is quickly approaching. Each has their own dreams about life after high school. With their final days of high school, one would figure that there would be smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts, but that isn’t the case here. Carl’s mother is battling cancer and things are looking mighty bleak for her. She needs medical care to get treatment and continue living, but her insurance won’t pay for the costly expenses.
Taking matters into their own hands and seeing Carl’s mother as their own, the group realizes they need to do something to help out. Gathered around a table for breakfast one morning, the realization of what they must do to help comes to them. It is agreed upon that this will be done just this one time, and it is being done for a very worthy cause. The four of them have no choice and must do what is right in order to save a woman that isn’t getting help from anyone else. Carl, Polly, Chauncey, and Tom are going to use their graduation as a cover-up and rob a bank.
Sounds rather intriguing doesn’t it? It certainly was never anything I thought of while in high school, but maybe the reasoning for it was just never there. Graduation does a nice job of pitting this group of kids against the law and having them make decisions on their own. It is a feel-good tale that tries to make doing something bad end up being done for all the right reasons. You just can’t help but wonder if this entire message was wasted by the time the ending rolls around.
The young actors are likeable and really seem to have a good relationship with one another that makes it appear as if they have been in school together for years. While they don’t necessarily look high-school age, we can’t really complain about that considering we all watched 90210 and Dawson’s Creek without saying anything. The plot is farfetched, but it is pulled off nicely with their antagonist, who is not only being their conscience but also Mary’s father Adam. Adam is having an affair and she resents him for it, and wants to get revenge on him because of. But in that instance it would seem as if getting caught would actually be the sweeter glory because she could throw it in his face that their “ideal” family isn’t as it seems.
Graduation is not perfect, but it still is a fun way to spend an hour and a half. It brings about some fun characters along with a plan that just makes you wish you had actually thought of when you were younger. I know it would have spiced up my graduation some, but that was many years ago so no sense in dwelling on it. The script also has its problems and some of the writing just doesn’t appear to fit, but keep telling yourself it is just a movie. Watch this one without thinking too much and you are sure to have some fun with it.
The film is shown in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format and it looks like it should for a direct-to-DVD film. The colors are bright when needed and the darker scenes are never overly cast in shadow. Be prepared for some of the goofiest looking DVD menus you’ve ever seen though.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and it comes through just fine. Some of music is annoying at times, but not because of how the sound quality is. The songs just suck.
Alternate Opening – Not much changes in this one minute and thirteen second opening so don’t expect too much here. This can be played with commentary or not. The opening in the film itself is much better.
Bloopers – Two and a half minutes of flubbed lines, messed up props, and a bunch of laughter. Nothing really too funny because it’s more of a “you needed to be there” kind of thing. Maybe they would have been a bit funnier if the subtle music in the background hadn’t been playing the whole time.
Deleted/Extended Scenes – Only two deleted scenes and two extended versions of other scenes are included and wouldn’t have added much to the film if left in or taken out as is.
Behind The Scenes Slideshow – This feature lasts two minutes and forty-six seconds and is nothing more then a bunch of pictures (mostly about the bank) with some text popping up to explain what is going on. This feature was also set to music which just seemed to out of place.
Audio Commentary – Director Mike Mayer and writer Cory Turner sit together for the commentary track and laugh a lot during it too. It is a lot of talking about what is happening on screen, the backstory behind the actual story, and what it was like working with the actors involved.
Storyboard Comparisons – Four segments of the film are compared side by side with the live action and storyboards. Each can be played with commentary.
Trailers – Boarding Gate, Flawless, The Life Before Her Eyes, and The Signal
Graduation surprised me a little bit by being better then I could have ever expected it to be. There were some tense moments along with humorous ones which came about because a well-rounded plot. It isn’t overly complex or stupid, but is heartfelt and makes a hell of a lot of sense. What better way to get back at some of those people who have poked fun at your or ridiculed you, and help someone you love dearly then by doing all of that at the same time? Works for me. And surprisingly there are a number of special features included on this DVD which is very rare these days unless it is a big blockbuster of a film. Mind you the special features are all pretty worthless except for a semi-decent commentary track, but at least they put them on there. Graduation could be a film you grow to love, and it is one I know I’ll end up watching again from time to time so try a rental one day and give it a shot.
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Magnolia presents Graduation. Directed by: Mike Mayer. Starring: Adam Arkin, Aimee Garcia, Huey Lewis, Chris Lowell, Shannon Lucio, Chris Marquette, Riley Smith. Written by: D. Cory Turner. Running time: 89 minutes. Rating: PG-13. Released on DVD: May 13, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Danny Cox
