It is a performances centric movie

Best movie ever!

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Like allot of reviewers, This is like my generations version of the Big Chill. The plot sounds weak- the day after a big bash 80's style party of 2 children taking care of the house they grew up in before the parents sell it. But you know. This works. All the characters are interesting. From the former child star who really pulls out a real shocking secret to the group to all the various subplots. Music is spot on, brought back memories of mine back in the 1980's. Eric Stoltz is hilarious as the stoner guy who lived up the street who crashes the party and brings his crazy personality to the fold. Funny seeing Ione Skye here which I haven't seen her in a movie since 20 years earlier in Say Anything. So this sorta fits into the plot. I never see this on cable anymore, yet they play tons of crappy movies on a constant basis. If you can find this anywhere and are from a generation that grew up in the 80's this should hit the spot on memory lane.

I saw this movie at the KIFF film festival in Kansas City and it was one of my favorites.I thought this was just going to be a film about wishing to be young, but was pleasantly surprised. I found myself relating to just about every character in the film and I'm only in my 20's. There are many surprises about the characters as well. The lifeguard was especially interesting. It turned out to be a great exploration of the question "what if?" many of us have asked ourselves. It also questions whether we should worry about what could have been and move forward from where we are now.Many great laughs sprinkled throughout too!

This film manages to capture some of the magic of the John Hughes 80's without being a complete re-hash. Most amazing is the well-rounded nature of the group cast. You get a picture of each of these people's lives. Hughes' movies always had an undercurrent of drama, pain and misfortune. The director/writer was at the screening I saw (at KIFF) and said the movie was loosely based on an 80's party she threw.I felt that the movie did a great job of being nostalgic without going overboard, pulling in the anxiety of thirty-somethings who grew up on those 80's classics, and ends with you feeling strangely connected to the whole group. This party could happen in your house tonight, and along with it a good, if a little painful sometimes look back, and, by its conclusion, a realistic look at the ahead.Hope this gets distributed to more screens so more people can enjoy it themselves. Penis pirate for life! -D

While I found this movie to be at times somewhat entertaining, I felt it lacked any sort of originality or soul. One reviewer called it "John Hughes for the 36ish crowd" which is a fairly good description, except for one thing: The reason 16 candles, pretty in pink, etc. are fun, classic movies is because they represent the actual angst-ridden, dramatic, and totally ridiculous times that is youth for most people in a way that is both easy to relate to and fun to watch. This movie, I feel just takes a bunch of older people and makes them act like teenagers as a way of "taking you back." But honestly, who still acts like they're 17 when they're in fact 36? Nobody I'd want to know or could relate to. The dialogue is neither original nor believable and the amount of things going on between this group of friends is just absurd. And the characters are just lame as well. Of course there's the wise old hippy guys who gets the hot girl in the end (by showing she's more than just a hot girl), the popular couple who haven't hashed our their real feelings all these years later, the asshole dork friend who screwed everyone over, etc. It's just so formula it's sad. But even I will partake in something so sinfully bad from time to time, so I can't say I hated it, but I really don't understand all the praise it's getting thus far. It's a good effort, but the end result lacks anything really worth watching if you're over the age of 15.