Whatever (1998)

A teen faces her impending adulthood in the carefree sex and drug revolution years of the early 80's prior to fears of AIDS. She lives with her bitter, divorced mother and her sadistic kid ... See full summary »

Director:

Susan Skoog

Writer:

Susan Skoog

Stars:

Liza Weil, Chad Morgan, Frederic Forrest

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liza Weil	...	Anna Stockard
Chad Morgan	...	Brenda Talbot
Frederic Forrest	...	Mr. Chaminski
Kathryn Rossetter	...	Carol Stockard
Marc Riffon	...	Martin
Dan Montano	...	Zak
John Gleeson Connolly	...	John Woods (as John G. Connolly)
Gary Wolf	...	Eddie
Tony Torn	...	Mr. Stanley
Trey Compton	...	Sam
Joe Mantragna	...	Chris
Matt Rumbaugh	...	Tony
Jim Neville	...	Rob
Garret Spencer	...	Joe
Destiny Matranga	...	Lynn

Storyline

A teen faces her impending adulthood in the carefree sex and drug revolution years of the early 80's prior to fears of AIDS. She lives with her bitter, divorced mother and her sadistic kid brother. Looking forward to a life based on her passion for art, she nevertheless gets in with the partying crowd which causes her to miss deadlines and poor grades which jeapordizes her future. Ultimately she ends up losing her virginity to an older artist wanna-be who she has had a long standing crush on.

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Plot Keywords:

sex | drugs | new jersey | high school | art teacher | 

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Taglines:

1981. In an era of just say no, they said yes.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive teen drug and alcohol use, language including sexual dialogue, sexuality and some violence

Did You Know?

Goofs

Sam can be seen in at least two scenes wearing Batman: The Animated Series pajamas. BTAS debuted in 1992. Whatever takes place in 1981.

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Crazy Credits

The filmmakers would like to express their deepest gratitude and thanks to all who gave their time, their artistry, their technical abilities, their equipment, their clothes, their homes, their furniture, their cars, their food, their pets, their children, their offices, their copy machines, their phones, their pillows and blankets, their credit limits, their lungs, their patience, their marriages, their political influence, their good reputations, their physical health and most of all their good will that made the production of this film possible.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Lethal Weapon 4/Whatever/Small Soldiers/Madeline/Pi (1998)

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Soundtracks

Angel From Montgomery
Written by John Prine
Performed by Michelle Yahn, Steve Kraft, and Greg Leisz

User Reviews

Drugs, sex, lawlessness, life

Whatever is a great slice-of-life coming of age story, this time about two young girls in their last year of high school. One girl is awkward looking and shy, but talented with a bright future as an artist. The other is prettier and popular, but not really destined for much. Both live their formative years in a backwater New Jersey suburb and their lives are far less polished and sanitized than those portrayed in most teenage coming of age films these days (TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, SHE'S ALL THAT, etc...) This film is gritty and real and the characters are powerful. It's hailed as a great 'chick flick" because it's focus is these two girls, but it's more than that.

I thought they did a great job portraying a realistic world. Hell, the high school party scene was stolen right out of my life! ;)

In any case, the acting is superb. The two girls, Anna and Brenda are played by Liza Weil (Stir of Echoes, A Cur for Serpents) and Chad Morgan (Co-Ed Call Girl). They find themselves looking for their own identity in the midst of messed-up family lives and peer pressure. Anna's the daughter of a single mother who works as a waitress and has affairs with rich married men to help support her kids. Brenda suffers through years of sexual abuse at the hands of her step-father. Both find escape and comfort in their pursuit for adulthood -- hopping from one new experience to the next in search of themselves. Drugs, sex, lawlessness... all of these things become part of their lives, and things which they must overcome in order to survive.

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Classics

Country:

France USA

Language:

French English

Release Date:

10 July 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bánomisén

Filming Locations:

Red Bank, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$307,037

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$307,037

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anyway Productions, Circle Films, DuArt Film and Video

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Color:

Color