Reviews & Ratings for
Answer This! More at IMDbPro »

13 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

eternal grad student finds escape and meaning in the little things

Author: julesette from New York, NY
12 October 2010

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The movie was good, not great, but good. Arielle was a definite standout, as was Evan Jones as Ice. I would have liked to have seen more of Parnell and Ralph Williams. Gorham's performance was good as always, but I still had a hard time liking Paul all that much. It didn't help that this 30-year-old T.A. was playing footsie with his 18-year-old student. That said, the love scene was the best I've seen in a movie in years, the juxtaposition of romance and biblical text was very effective. But any sort of enjoyment you have of their relationship is pretty much killed during the library scene when even I wanted to smack him (Which I'm sure was the desired effect). When he gets his comeuppance from her, it's pretty well-deserved.

I've heard varying reports as to whether what they showed was a rough cut or the final product. Considering they have more screenings and won't be hitting the festival circuit till next year I would bet there will be more edits to come.

The film is definitely a visual love letter to the town of Ann Arbor, and seeing it in its home was a special treat. I love when a town becomes not just a backdrop but a character in the movie, as the Farahs have done with it here.

13 out of 21 people found the following review useful:

Painfully predictable and dumb

Author: casp7 from Ann Arbor, MI
28 October 2011

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie is impossibly clichéd and stupid. Ridiculous storyline involves an English literature graduate student who is, the audience is repeatedly, ham-handedly bludgeoned into understanding, repressed and constrained by the life-long influence of his father, who is also, impossibly, an English literature professor in the same department. Add water to the standard elements of a wanna-be movie narrative: Young romantic interest helps protagonist break out of his rut and find his own identity; developing sense of self helps protagonist relate more genuinely to the students he teaches (the protagonist's "break-out" teaching assistant class toward the end of the movie being one of the most unwatchable segments of film I've seen in my life); evil rival European comparative literature student nemesis (seriously). The "mad-cap," "zany" trivia contest happening in the background providing painfully predictable comic relief. This movie does more than waste your time; it makes you long for your own death.

5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Unsurprisingly, very predictable from the start to the finish

Author: Jens Wegar
24 February 2012

There are no great twists in this movie and nothing ground breaking. It's not remarkably funny, it's not extremely bad. It just is a very average blend of a growing up movie that tries to be a comedy.

The plot line follows the basic boy is stuck in life, boy meets free spirited girl, boy gets girl, boy gets a wake-up call, yada yada yada storytelling. Very easy to predict once you've been introduced to the main characters. The whole trivia thing is just an excuse to shoot in a bar and in the end is actually a pretty small part of the whole movie. There is one scene where the main character gets very philosophical in class about the concept of questioning what one reads and it's relation to creating something holy, which is actually surprisingly thought provoking (although the setting in which it is presented again is pretty cliché).

If you're into the whole "growing up in college" thing, or if you just want something where no brain power is necessary, then you might have a few enjoyable hours with this one.

13 out of 22 people found the following review useful:

A Terrific New Film....

Author: Arden Rynew from United States
14 April 2011

"Answer This! is a modern comedy with a great cast. The acting is uniformly good. I've never heard of this Director before, but I'm sure we're going to hear and see a lot more work from him. The quality of the editing and photography is excellent. Having not heard anything about this film, I walked in not knowing what to expect. Someone should think about changing the Film's Poster because it doesn't project what this film is about. Some clever person will figure this out and "package" this film, and then, a studio will make a lot of money. I'm looking forward to see the next film this director makes. I'm sure we will see much more of the cast. Take my advice and see this film.

10 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Sweet, predictable, fun, nostalgic

Author: John E. Johnson from United States
24 October 2011

This film, set on the campus of the University of Michigan, makes the U look as good as it really is. Yes, I'm an alum, so I'm biased, but the story is well written, the cast well-chosen, and the direction excellent. The minor revelation of a secret identity is a great way to end this film. The professor who plays the father of the story's lead is an actual professor (now emeritus). He is held in high esteem by the many students whose lives he touched. It was a stroke of genius to build this role around him. Then, again, maybe it was so obvious, it wasn't genius at all. The film captures the procrastination and angst so many doctoral candidates suffer as they try to complete their theses. If you ever went there, you'll identify with this film. If you ever attended or visited the University of Michigan or wanted to, you'll find that aspect alone worth the trip to Answer This!

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:

The question is, would anyone want Ann Arbor in the rear view mirror? Yes, its true!

Author: Amy Adler from Toledo, Ohio
27 December 2012

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Paul (Christopher Gorham) is a doctoral student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Naturally, this is admirable as the school's reputation is very fine. Unfortunately, Paul has big shoes to fill, for his father is one of the most beloved professors on campus. But, Paul is having great difficulty finishing his dissertation, probably because of his need to "measure up". To blow off steam, Paul makes the rounds of trivia contests held at local bars with his friend, James (Nelson Franklin), a college test adviser. Since this activity is far more than a passing interest, it pushes his academic goals even farther away. Then, another complication arrives. Paul's world is shaken when a beautiful freshman student, Naomi (Arielle Kebbel) is a pupil in Paul's study lab. Bright and unconventional, she opens up a world that Paul hasn't experienced, one beyond the outskirts of Ann Arbor. But, as pressure mounts for Paul to finish his degree, be a local trivia champion, and win Naomi's heart, something's gotta give. What? This is a fine film, with an unusual story of academia most viewers won't know. It has many solid discussion points, from religion to family ties to cloistered environments. Gorham, Franklin, and Kebbel are wonderful in their respective roles, as are the lesser cast members. Then, too, Ann Arbor is tailor-made for a nice setting while the challenging script and direction are quite fine as well. Will it play beyond Ann Arbor? I hope so, for it has many genuine assets in the art of film-making.

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:

More than meets the eye; not formulaic

Author: Larry Weisenthal from Huntington Beach CA
18 January 2012

This is the academic equivalent of a movie where a big time college football coach raises his son to be a quarterback. The son thinks that this is what he wants, but it doesn't make him happy; so he looks to find something to make him happy -- in this case trivia contests and a disturbingly underage girl.

The football coach equivalent dad is a wonderful character, who is a non-actor, real college professor, who basically plays his real life self. His performance alone is worth the price of admission.

The movie portrays something which I haven't seen on the screen before, but which is something which goes on a lot in real world university campuses. Borderline sexual predation by a very mature graduate student, teaching assistant, and an incoming college freshman, straight out of high school. The movie raises just the right amount of discomfiture, but avoids overt creepiness by showing that the girl is much more mature and worldly-wise than is the older man. Ultimately, she controls their relationship, not he.

Along the way, there is gorgeous cinematography of a real Midwestern college town in autumn and several legitimate laugh out loud moments. The most formulaic moment is the ending -- directly inspired by Good Will Hunting, it would appear.

I'd give it 3 stars out of 4 -- since it's a movie about academia, a solid B+.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA

A Must See

Author: Wonder_Woman527
11 June 2013

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie is definitely a must see. The script is phenomenal! While it has its goofy run-of-the-mill college movie moments, the underlying plot of "greatness is trivial" is beautifully played out. Christopher Gorham was the perfect choice for this film. He is such a strong actor and he really owns this role. You can't help but love him. The movie also has its moments of romance but it isn't what you would expect. This is not a happily ever after type of movie. It's real. It's what real people experience and what real people want to see. You don't leave this movie blissfully happy and loving life. You leave this movie contemplating. Answer This! is a movie that makes you think. It makes you question. I believe there is no better movie than one that inspires you. This is one of those movies. It's hilarious, romantic, thoughtful, and emotional. The comedic relief is well done and the supporting characters provide someone for everyone to relate to. I love this movie and will definitely be recommending it to others.

5 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

Trivia is king in Ann Arbor-made "Answer This!"

Author: swimmer38 from United States
15 October 2011

I was fortunate enough to attend the world premiere screening of Answer This! at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor last October, and since then I have been waiting for the film to be picked up for wider distribution. Wrekin Hill Entertainment has picked up Answer This!, and to celebrate that, there was another red carpet premiere screening at the Emagine Royal Oak this past Thursday, October 13. I was interested in seeing if the distributors had made any changes to the movie, and if they had, they are little; however, the movie was just as good as I remembered it.

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