brilliant actors, brilliant editing

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

"You killed her? No! How?! With a butcher's knife?!"Disaffected college student Bickford Shmeckler (Patrick Fugit) has filled a book with his cool and revolutionary ideas about reality. One night at a party, beautiful kleptomaniac Sarah (Olivia Wilde) stumbles into his room, and makes off with his book of ideas. Over the next few days, Bickford frantically tries to track the book back down, while reading it has a huge affect on the lives of Sarah, an entire Dungeons and Dragons club, a horny cosmology professor, and a group of homeless nuts led by a man named Spaceman. Yes, the movie really is that random. The most random and peculiar indie comedy that I've seen in a while.   As you can tell from the description, this is a pretty weird movie. It's low-budget, for sure. Lots of obscure tunes from college radio on the soundtrack, and lots of "alternative" humor. I found the attempts at humor to be more bemusing, than anything else. I only recall laughing out loud once (thanks to a few cameos from Reno 911! and a rape joke that came out of nowhere). If the idea of a book giving women brain orgasms sounds funny to you, then you'll be right at home, here. I don't really think I can recommend that anyone who's not a massive Olivia Wilde or Patrick Fugit fan go out of their way to catch this one. The movie takes a turn for the dramatic at the end that doesn't fit well with anything that came before, and the entire script just seems like it could have used a lot more development.

Although I found this movie to be fun and somewhat inspiring, it might make you do that thing you've been wanting to do but haven't, it lacks real smarts. The theories he has are never really talked about in any way that will bring you to new thoughts. He just doesn't come across as a mad scientist/philosopher because he never says anything scientific or philosophical.It does feel good because it has that angsty virgin thing who gets together with a gorgeous woman because of his ideas, and that is something we can relate to, but it's just not smart. I never heard a simple list of ideas, a rundown of why he is perplexed, a question or a theory. His character has problems to deal with, but they are revealed in one moment and then that scene is forgotten. If that is why he is so perplexed about how to be happy, then it should have been a persistent look on his face, an explanation that is revealed as to why he does things so differently than the rest of us. This kid in the movie is not weird or even nerdy, he's regular and boring. Even his anger is silly. The one real "crazy" person in the movie, an actor who I hope will find his "reality" one day, is presented in a way that demeans what it is to be truly different. Even the not selling out idea is... Well, just not inspirational. The token gay is silly as well, his coming out comes across as disingenuous and devoid of any feeling. I did have fun watching it though, and I suspect that that has more to do with the beauty of Olivia Wilde, who is, a stone cold fox. It is hard to watch her in any scene and not question where a woman so beautiful comes from and what exactly makes her so damn good to look at.

I loved this movie. Although my opinion is biased on the fact that I adore Patrick Fugit and would be pleased with anything he was cast in. I was greatly impressed by Olivia Wilde's performance on the big screen, as I had only seen her on a few episodes of The O.C. I found the theories in 'The Book' itself to be 'brain-gasmic' and quite thoughtful. Surly something I, myself, would have wanted to read if there were such a book published.I gave the movie and overall 8 because, although I was excited to see Patrick, the plot was slow and I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending of the film.

Just spent the last 4 days at SXSW-Austin. Caught "Bickford Schmeckler Cool Ideas" and have picked it as my favorite. I can't think of any aspect of the film I had issue with. I loved Matthew Lillard as "Spaceman". Patrick Fugit was very believable and so funny. Olivia Wilde was fantastic, can't wait to see her in "Running with Scissors". The gags worked, the dialog was hilarious, the acting was great, editing was great – like I said I really can't list anything I didn't like.This was the only film I viewed in which no one left during the screening. I can't wait to be able to see it again. If you want a fun movie that'll make you laugh you must see this film. Let's hope for national distribution!