The Wackness (2008)

It's the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop. Set against this backdrop, a lonely teenager named Luke Shapiro spends his last summer before university selling marijuana throughout New York City, trading it with his unorthodox psychotherapist for treatment, while having a crush on his stepdaughter.

Director:

Jonathan Levine

Writer:

Jonathan Levine

Stars:

Josh Peck, Ben Kingsley, Olivia Thirlby

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Kingsley	...	Dr. Squires
Josh Peck	...	Luke Shapiro
Famke Janssen	...	Mrs. Squires
Olivia Thirlby	...	Stephanie
Mary-Kate Olsen	...	Union
Jane Adams	...	Eleanor
Method Man	...	Percy
Aaron Yoo	...	Justin
Talia Balsam	...	Mrs. Shapiro
David Wohl	...	Mr. Shapiro
Bob Dishy	...	Grandpa Shapiro
Joanna Merlin	...	Grandma Shapiro
Shannon Briggs	...	Bodyguard #1
Roy Milton Davis	...	Homeless Man
Alexander Flores	...	Kid in Bar

Storyline

Friendship, love, and coming of age in New York City, summer of 1994. Luke Shapiro has just graduated from high school, sells marijuana, and trades pot for therapy from a psychologist, Dr. Jeffrey Squires. Luke is attracted to a classmate, Stephanie, who's out of his league and Squires' step-daughter. By July, he's hanging out with Stephanie, taking her on his rounds selling pot out of an ice-cream pushcart. Then things take a turn. In the background, Squires and his wife as well as Luke's parents are having their troubles.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | high school | therapist | coming of age | hip hop | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes it's right to do the wrong things.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive drug use, language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Sony Classics [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bódulat

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$138,401, 6 July 2008

Gross USA:

$2,077,116

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,175,469

Company Credits

Production Co:

Occupant Entertainment, SBK Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first song played is during the "Impure Thoughts" subway scene with the Hip Hop girls dancing was originally "Bonita Applebaum" by A Tribe Called Quest, once the movie was added to streaming sites (Netflix, Hulu, Crackle etc.) it was changed to "The World Is Yours" by Nas most likely due to Copy Rights.

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Goofs

When Stephanie gives Luke her number, Luke puts the piece of paper in his pocket. When he later checks it out, the paper is neat and without any creases whatsoever.

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Quotes

Stephanie: It doesn't matter.
Luke Shapiro: Doesn't matter? Why not?
Stephanie: Because how could anything possibly matter right now?

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Crazy Credits

When the Sony Pictures Classics logo appears at the very beginning and at the very end of the film, the word "classics" is erased and replaced with a graffiti rendering of the same word.

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Connections

References Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)

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Soundtracks

The World Is Yours
Written by Nas (as Nasir Jones) and Pete Rock (as Peter Philips)
Performed by Nas
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

wonderful. . . a must see. . . and, to quote my mother, "extraordinary"

This film was everything a movie should be. Great direction, acting, writing, and everything else! The acting was superb. Josh Peck really showed that not only is he a wonderful comical actor, but he is an incredible dramatic actor, as well. He was just perfect in this role, and he was able to carry the film with ease. Hopefully we will be seeing a whole lot more of this actor, for he has given the breakthrough performance of the year. Ben Kingsly was, as usual, great. He provides a comical character and creates a character so entertaining, you can't help but smile once he appears on screen. Olivia Thirlby worked very well as Peck's love interest, and Mary-Kate Olsen showed that she has the potential to break away from her child star mold and start a promising film career.

And while some reviews expressed that the use of 1994 (the year the film takes place in) and all the references to that time were annoying, I found them quite funny and enjoyed such references as mentions of a 90210 episode that I recently watched!

The story of a drug-dealing teen's relationship with his shrink/client and his relationship with the shrink's daughter is a truly enthralling one. It felt much shorter than is was and I hope to see it again soon! I loved everything about this film and hope that it becomes the independent film that makes it big this year, just as Juno did last year! It definitely deserves high praise!