5-25-77

Aggravatingly uneven. I guess that's how it struck me. I was in high school when Star Wars (no bloody 4, 5, or 6) first came out and I was a big sci-fi nerd, so this movie I felt like this movie should have resonated with me and it really didn't. Austin Pendleton was great, but he always is. Maybe I'm just too old to relate to the teenage characters, but I don't generally have a problem in that area. I was a bit put off but some of the jump-cut sequences and I get that's technique that's used much more than it was in the past. And there was a general lack of focus. Too many sub-plots were competing for screen time and as a result some of them were left unresolved. Maybe the fact that it took 13+ years for the movie to be completed had something to do with this.

It just didn't sit right with me.

This film was shown at my local art-house theater tonight, and it far exceeded my expectations - I'd seen an earlier version a few years ago and really didn't know what to expect. This is an indie gem, a coming- of-age tale built around the release of the first Star Wars film on May 25, 1977. The filmmaker weaves the lead character's lovable, laughable attempts at Super-8 filmmaking into his high school loves and losses and his breakthrough experiences with other films of the era in a way that is engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking from start to finish. The actors are terrific and very professional, the attention to detail is outstanding, and the production values are top notch. Highly recommended.

Right, well I have to admit that I was definitely harboring some hopes and expectations for this 2022 comedy drama from writer and director Patrick Read Johnson as I sat down to watch it.

And now 132 minutes later, I sit here with an overwhelming sense of 'was that really it?' and of having somewhat squandered 132 minutes of my life on something that most certainly didn't live up to what I was expecting, not even by a longshot.

"5-25-77" seemed like such an interesting movie, especially for a life-long fantasy and "Star Wars" fan such as myself. And there were definitely things to identify with here in the main character of Pat Johnson. However, the script's storyline and narrative just somewhat fell short of providing me with much entertainment.

The acting performances in "5-25-77" were quite good.

Sure, the movie was watchable, but this is by no means a movie that impressed me. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.

My rating of of "5-25-77" lands on a four out of ten stars.

Quentin Tarantino said, "If you truly love cinema with all your heart and with enough passion, you can't help but make a good movie." I kept thinking of this quote while smiling through this charming cheapie. The acting is iffy, the special effects are wonderfully podunk, and the script needed some major editing, but still... I loved it. The creator, whose adolescence this is based on, started filming this in 2004 and it took him nearly 20 years to get it released. Where "The Fabelmans" (in my opinion) failed terribly at capturing the spirit of filmmaking and the root of why it obsesses the obsessed, "5-25-77" nails it. It's films like this we should be championing and rewarding with our time.

After 8 year old Pat Johnson watches the film 2001: A Space Odyssey in the theater, he becomes obsessed with filmmaking. As a teen, he (John Francis Daley) has been making movies with his friends and family in his backyard in small town Illinois. With help from his mother (Colleen Camp), he sets off to meet his hero in Hollywood.

This movie is too long. It should not be longer than two hours. It's really noticeable in the third act where all I want is for him to get to the theater. At least, Bill points out that he could have walked there by then and that's a good save. Linda becomes way too complicated and I would cut down on Tony. This movie needs to trim at every opportunity. Second, Bill's constant complaining is too annoying. It's frustrating and robs his later declaration of all its power. Finally, John Francis Daley is well into his 30's. It's time that he graduates from Freaks and Geeks. Mostly, this could be better but it still some good ideas.