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:

watching television | world trade center | summer | friend | new york city | 

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Taglines:

Summer 1994. The girls were fly. The music was dope. And Luke was just trying to deal.

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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, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,077,116, 23 October 2008

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,899,975

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 screenplay for this movie was featured in the 2007 Blacklist; a list of the "most liked" unmade scripts of the year.

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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

Dr. Squires: Don't touch my daughter.
Stephanie, Luke Shapiro: Stepdaughter!

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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

Features Tetris (1984)

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Soundtracks

Summertime
Written by George Funky Brown, C.F. Martin, Claydes Smith, Robert Kool Bell,
Ronald Bell, Will Smith (as Willard Smith), Robert Spike Mickens, Alton Taylor, Dennis D.T. Thomas, Hula Mahone, Guru, Richard Westfield and K P Fingers
Performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

User Reviews

A lovely film

I walked into this film with 0 expectations having received pre-screener passes from a local record store. This is a beautifully filmed true to life story which I felt held very deep meaning about the beauty that is the start and end of relationships. We follow the summer of two very different men in who are in very similar mindsets dealing with the personal crises, quiet pleasures, new experiences, and endless repetition that is life. This is a realistic and philosophical film that the label "comedy" does not do justice, but there are steady laughs throughout the film, especially for those of us who grew up in the 1990s. Only let-down was Mary-Kate Olsen, who I simply couldn't buy in her role, fortunately, it's a very small part.