User reviews

Jeff Anderson shows that he is not only one of the funniest unknown actors, but also a talented director and writer with this movie about a man trying to figure out why he's been left at the altar. I saw an early screening of the movie and must say that it was funny, heartfelt, and innovative. Not just a Kevin Smith knock-off, Jeff has taken his own direction making a romantic comedy for people sick of romantic comedies with simple solutions.

Fans of Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse know Jeff Anderson as "Randal," the hilariously obnoxious character featured in Clerks and a spinoff cartoon show. With "Now You Know," screening for the first time in near completed form at the Vulgarathon 2002 (If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's not worth the typing to explain), Anderson jumps into the world of writer/directors, and it is a very impressive, successful debut.

Jeremy (Jeremy Sisto) is at his wild bachelor party, but he doesn't have the strength to tell his fellow partygoers that his wedding to Kerri (Rashida Jones) has been called off. The two return home to their separate friends and contemplate their future. Jeremy pals around with two lawn mowers by day, bizarre criminals by night named Gil (Anderson) and Biscuit (Trevor Fehrman); Kerri hangs out with Marty (Heather Paige Kent) who loves to sexually torture Kerri's horny younger brother. The film follows the Jeremy and Kerri struggle to come to terms with their respective issues in very different ways.

The film has some very big laughs; most from the weirdos Gil and Biscuit, who have a bit of the famous Clerks in their poor job performance and smart, witty dialogue. The film drags only when it gets more serious and focuses on its two leads; throughout the film we are left in the dark as to the hows and whys of the lead couple's breakup; an interesting story tactic, but one that doesn't quite work because a lot of times the lead performers don't seem to be all that interested in one another. While the story plays, and the ending is extremely satsifying, I was usually more intrigued with the respective sidekicks' antics (Furniture heists and marrital advice from lesbians, just to name a few) than with the leads. Anderson, in a large role, is very good, and the rest of the supporting cast give outstanding performances. Also, keep a keen eye for cameos from Kevin Smith and wife Jen, plus Liz Sheriden, aka Helen Seinfeld.

Screening the film before he showed it to cast and crew, Anderson's print wasn't completely finished (And there were a few continuity glitches that several vocal audience members harped on), but it was clear that the film has some real potential. It played for big laughs, and, with a little tightening in the slower areas of the movie, could be an outstanding romantic comedy. The entire audience loved the film and was pleasantly surprised, it seemed, at the writing and directing talent they saw. Let's hope we see some more of it in the future.

We all know and love Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) from the Clerks movies. I saw this movie a couple of years ago at Vulgarthon, which is basically a Kevin Smith film festival. In fact, I can see myself in the crowd during the Q&A on this DVD which is pretty neat! :-) I will be honest and say that I did not have high hopes for this movie. I did not expect it to be bad, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised at how good it was and as one person stated during the Q&A, I now think of Jeff Anderson as Jeff Anderson, not as Randal. He has definitely come into his own and should be recognized for having talents all his own and beyond his quick-talking role in Kevin Smith's movies.

Now You Know is about a couple who are engaged and on the eve of their wedding the bride-to-be (Rashida Jones) calls off the wedding with (seemingly) no explanation, leaving the groom (Jeremy Sisto) confused and at a loss as to what he should do next.

One of the high points of the film is definitely the casting. For the most part the cast is impeccable and the acting is great. Jeremy Sisto is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors consistently surprising me in the unique and independent films he chooses to be in. His performance here is no exception, he is excellent as the sweet and baffled Jeremy. One hilarious fun fact is that according to Jeff Anderson his first choice for the role of Jeremy was Joey Lawrence! He said that Lawrence auditioned and was absolutely perfect but he couldn't bring himself to cast him simply because "come on, it's Joey Lawrence." Anyhow, Sisto fills the part just fine, although it would have been interesting to see Lawrence in the part as well.

I was happy to see Jones in the role of Kerri--the only other thing I have seen her in is one episode of the much beloved show Freaks and Geeks. She does just fine as the dissatisfied and confused Kerri.

In supporting roles we have Anderson as Gil, one of Jeremy's old friends, who does great as always. We also have a wonderful performance by Heather Paige Kent whom I used to watch in an underrated and short-lived TV show called That's Life. She turns in a remarkable performance here as the supportive friend of Kerri with a big problem of her own. I hope to see her in more movies in the future. In my opinion the only weak point in the casting is Trevor Fehrman as Bisquit, Jeremy and Gil's buddy. His performance is forgettable, poor and he brings almost none of himself to the part. Most of his rants are pretty typical of rants in almost every Kevin Smith movie and it's pretty obvious that these are some of the same, his inflection is even the same as so many other secondary characters in Clerks and it was actually a little distracting and it's also part of the reason I gave the movie six stars instead of seven or eight.

Another reason for the six-star rating is due to the fact that the movie suffers from a little predictability (not too bad though) and some dialogue in certain scenes that is too run-of-the-mill or typical. I also feel that certain parts of the movie are a bit too reminiscent of Clerks, which is not entirely a bad thing but it would have been nice to see Anderson break away from that and come up with something completely separate from his work with Smith.

All in all Anderson really put himself out there and we can see a lot of his personal story in Now You Know. This is a great first-time effort and I think we will see something even better with his next film Marry Me To Death. He stated that he wanted to make a movie that appealed to both men and women and this movie has crude humor and a somewhat Bachelor Party-esquire feel to it and also has a softer side with some romantic elements which will appeal to the ladies (not me so much because romance in movies makes me sick, haha). Anyway, he most certainly accomplishes this goal with Now You Know. I recommend checking this flick out, it is well worth the time.

I saw this at Vulgarthon 3 but I'm not doing it because Jeff told me too... no sir. I'm doing it because the world deserves to know that this movie is simply hilarious. Too many jokes to even delve in to. I never knew Jeff was a writer and a brilliant one at that. He's also one of the coolest people you will ever meet and that speaks alot when it comes to his own movies. Watch this film and look out for Jeff Anderson, cause trust me... he's gonna be the best directors out there.

I am a huge, huge, HUGE Kevin Smith fan, and Randal was always my favorite character and I couldn't wait to see this. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be, but it was still good. It was really long and slow, but it had its moments. It was really funny and I loved Biscuit. He's one of the best movie characters ever. Gil is a great character too. It had two touching moments that I just loved. Well I loved the first one, the other was a little cheesy. At the end somebody finds out something and I thought it was going to be the beautiful, heartfelt, saving grace of the film and it was...to an extent. The scene could have been written better but whatever, it was good enough. If they'd cut the crap and made it shorter I think it would have been great. Just don't let the boring and slow parts make you miss what's really great about it. I give it a 7/10. But I'm only 15, I think I'll like it more when I'm older. And say what you will about the movie, but you've got to agree that Biscuit's analogy of dogs and cats to gay people is pure genius.

I was really impressed with Now You Know. It's a hilarious movie that both men and women will enjoy. Jeff Anderson shows that he has quality acting, directing and especially writing to bring to the screen. Trevor Fehrman as "Biscuit" is an exciting discovery. Go see Now You Know. Jeff Anderson has gained a new fan and I'll be watching for his future projects.

Just saw an early cut of this film at Vulgarthon 3 and it was definetly my fave film of the day. Jeff Anderson brings the unique "Randall" voice that we know and love him for to this romantic comedy about an engagement that goes wrong with out either party, it seems, knowing why. The blend of romance and male bonding was my favorite aspect of the film but my one complaint would be that the big laughs in the film are few and far between. They are there, and quite memorable, but i was left wanting more of them. That said, Now You Know is a fine first effort out and I recommend that you check this film out if given the chance.

I wasn't privileged to see this film at the Vulgarthon, so I didn't get to drink whatever totally awesome Kool-Aid they apparently had on hand there! This definitely is not the greatest romantic comedy I've seen in years! I wasn't totally blown away by the great acting and incredible script, because they didn't exist! What I did find, however, were some pretty good comedy bits scattered here and there amidst a bunch of lifeless and boring romantic nonsense with lead characters that were extremely unappealing! This would've been a better movie if they'd concentrated on the Gil and Biscuit characters and deep-sixed Jeremy and Kerri, because I really couldn't care less about their dull romantic complications! And, unlike many of the people posting rave reviews of this flick, I actually have written more than one user comment!

While not actually a Kevin Smith movie, this is well worth the time spent! Some of the dialog is forced, but the concepts and overall storyline are engaging and, more times than not, actually laugh-out-loud funny. This is, as it was intended by Jeff Anderson, a movie to which both men and women can relate. The most interesting part of the script is that the "girl" parts are as realistic as the "boys"; both kinds of bonds are equally represented.

This is not a big budget, smooth, shiny Hollywood type movie, and that's exactly why it is great. Although somewhat sappy, it's the kind of movie Randall Graves would love (even though he'd never admit it).

You'd have to live in a Jersey suburb to like this, and even then you may feel embarrassed. I'm glad I didn't have to pay to view it, but who's going to pay me for the time I lost watching this?

Although it's written by another Clerks character, it's nothing like it. There's a moral forced onto the story and the gross-out scenes are forced. The whole thing feels forced. Reminds me of something a California slacker just out of AA and a script writing course would put together after watching some TV show with about Jersey.

All I have to say is that I saw this movie two years ago (at Kevin Smith's Vulgarthon) and for some reason I've found myself thinking about it and wondering if it ever made it to DVD. If that doesn't speak well of a film, I don't know what does. OK, I am required to say more....the movie was funny, had a likable cast, and best of all was written in a way that was not predictable, stereotypical, bitter, or unrealistic. I'll admit that it did have some minor continuity issues. Yet, I'll also admit that I have the unfortunate ability of easily being able to pick those things out. That trait has ruined lesser movies for me. This film was very entertaining. I really liked it and hope that I get an opportunity to not only see this movie again, but also additional work by the multi-talented Jeff Anderson.

I saw this film at a film festival and was floored by it. I laughed from start to finish, and found the ending touching. The highlight of the film were the duo of Buscuit and Gil(Trevor Fehrman and Jeff Anderson.) They spend much of the film bantering back and forth about pop culture topics, without seeming forced. The film featured some very funny scenes, amazing directing and camera work, and a great cast. Highly recommended.

Jeff Anderson's debut feature is very much a grown up romantic comedy. Admittedly I was expecting a Randal Graves style of humor that wasn't delivered but that didn't stop my enjoyment of the flick. I was pleasantly surprised at the sincerity of the characters and the believability of the dialogue. I'm certain that a lot of the more serious scenes would have been crude and sentimental in lesser hands. The Gil and Biscuit scenes give it just enough humor to counter the central storyline. There are of course certain issues with both Andersons direction and his own limited acting abilities, but in their own way they're sort of charming. In short, the film is very enjoyable and Jeff shows a lot of potential as a Writer-Director.

I knew nothing about this movie (other than it was done by the guy from Clerks) before seeing it... and let me tell you, I LOVED IT!!!!!!! Typical romantic comedy? No way. This was a fresh and new take on a movie genre that's been done to death. Gone were the stereo-typical characters and the predictable plots. I had no idea where this movie was going and enjoyed taking the journey with this on screen gang. I must say, every scene had a recognizable actor and they were all perfectly cast. P.S. When did Randal get so damn cute????

Jeff Anderson's first movie behind the script, and behind the camera. I had a chance to see this at View Askew's Vulgarthon 2002. It's a romantic comedy, with heave emphasis on 'Comedy'. Amazing acting and amazing writing drive this film. Anderson gives his best performance since 'Clerks'.

When this film comes out to the public, do anything you can to see it. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

It's a little unsurprising why Jeff Anderson' (of Clerks- fame) directorial debut was released theatrically in 2002 but sat on the shelf for four years before receiving a DVD release until 2006. The same year this film was released on DVD, Clerks II, the sequel to the film that put both Anderson and director Kevin Smith on the map was released theatrically. As a writing and directorial debut, Anderson's film plays very similar instruments to that of a Smith film, with long takes involving extensive dialog between characters and random conversations concerning a wide array of topics taking place. To say it matches the quality of what it is inspired by is quite the stretch but to say it adequately works as an intriguing little comedy- drama is an efficient summation.

The film concerns Jeremy (Jeremy Sisto), your typical everyman whose fiancée Kerri (Rashida Jones) has just called off the wedding for undisclosed reasons. Returning home to their homestate of New Jersey, Jeremy and Kerri spend sometime apart, with Jeremy hanging out with his slacker-buds Gil (Jeff Anderson) and Biscuit (Trevor Fehrman) while Kerri hopes to hear rational advice from her newly- expecting friend Marty (Heather Paige Kent).

Gil and Biscuit only pretend to feel for Jeremy's circumstance before too long. They're ecstatic to have their old, untied buddy back who can come with them to pull off cheap "heists" on an poor, innocent neighbor. The two have made a hobby out of breaking and entering into an older man's home at night, rearranging his furniture, family photos, and tables so that, hopefully, he will invest in a home security system manufactured by Gil's good friend. The whole subplot is so asinine and completely out there that it surprisingly warrants quite a few laughs.

The relationship Kerri and Marty share is a more dignified one, predicated off of trust and honor with a dash of silliness. However, the two find themselves in a wacky misunderstanding when Marty decides to take Kerri out to a lesbian bar to take her mind off Jeremy and the opposite sex, which only leads to confusion on Jeremy's behalf when he learns from a friend his ex-fiancée was seen at a lesbian bar with another woman.

Anderson's slowburn technique of giving every scene a moderate amount of dialog is a writing-strategy I never tire of. We spend, on average, anywhere from 80 to 150 with movie characters and, as I've said before, some writers don't even have the interest to give the characters last names let alone personalities. Anderson cares in the regard that he infuses his characters with smartly-written dialog that works thanks to a lack of dependence on senseless ranch and more of a clear emphasis on how the three male friends interact with one another.

Sisto, in particular, is your average leading man, often funny, believable enough to take seriously in his current life- predicament and common enough as an everyman character to relate to in a simplistic sense. Anderson and Fehrman often lend a hand in creating a more lax, much less uptight environment thanks to their natural acting talents of saying something completely ridiculous and finding ways without smiling while doing it. And with two equally strong female leads and a great cameo by Kevin Smith and his wife Jennifer Schwalbach- Smith there's little to complain in regards of the actors.

I suppose the only thing I can really fault Now You Know for is how it drifts and occasionally meanders, sometimes too far past the line of not being funny or sometimes too far past the line of being redundant. With Anderson being a new writer/director and already seemingly pioneering himself after the soul who put him on the map, perhaps that's something to kind of expect. But let it be known that even when Now You Know hits dry patches, it still manages to be more entertaining than many other independent comedy films that either try too hard or are dead-on arrival.

The final thing to note about with Now You Know is its absence of raunchy humor. A large element of many of these kinds of films is the raunch-factor and Anderson employs it conservatively, with great restraint allowing other filmmaking tactics such as writing and character- acting to surface. With Anderson's roots, this is an admirable feat that is one of the many defining reasons why Now You Know succeeds.

Starring: Jeremy Sisto, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Rashida Jones, Heather Paige Kent, Kevin Smith, and Jennifer Schwalbach-Smith.

As many did at Vulgarthon, I saw Jeff Anderson's new flick "Now You Know", a delightful romantic comedy that he wrote, directed and starred in. The flick starts off with Jeremy Sisto arriving at his Las Vegas bachelor party to find everyone having a good time but him, for he is the only person in the room who knows that his impending wedding has been called off. Him and his former fiance, played by Rashida Jones (the office secretary in Boston Public) are soon off to New Jersey, where the wedding was supposed to take place. Though they have the same flight home, they separate at the airport, Jones going off with best friend Heather Paige Kent, and Sisto going off to hang with his old friend Biscuit and pal Jeff Anderson. Hilarity and emotion ensue as Rashida tries to figure out why her ex acted so cold to her while Sisto tries also to figure out what went wrong, while having with Jeff breaking into houses and getting drunk. The acting is top notch. Seeing Jeff Anderson in a role again was amazing and he acted incredibly, added on with the fact that he was directing himself. Jeremy Sisto's performance is the only one with a poor performance, not so much poor as you just have trouble rooting for the guy who mopes around the whole movie. The gem of the film is Biscuit, played by Trevor Fehrman, who is a near riot every time he's on screen, the perfect foil for almost-straight-man Anderson. Jeff Anderson had said that the film hadn't even been completed yet, it still need some editing and titles, credits, and such, and the Vulgarthon people were the first to see the film, even seeing the film first before the stars and the crew. The bad? It wrapped up a little too nicely in the end. That and Jeff Anderson said he wanted to focus alot more on writing than acting (do yourself a favor if you read this Jeff, you should star in about 5 movies a year, you are incredible!). All in all, and incredible flick I can't wait to see again, the Biscuit alone makes it well worth it.

Had the opportunity to see Now You Know at Vulgarthon 2002 and thought it was great! Smart romantic comedy that takes on the issue of "What are men and women really looking for?" head on...and throws in some tremendous laughs along the way. Can't wait to see it in wider distribution. Great first effort, Jeff!

Jeff Anderson had pretty much disappeared from movies since "Clerks" (1994) a film that had earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. His rendition of Randall, the video-store clerk, is still considered a classic by many adoring fans. Marginal roles in small indies and cameos in subsequent Kevin Smith's films (Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back) had done little to quench the audience's thirst for new Jeff Anderson's material. The wait may soon be over with "Now You Know", a new romantic comedy written, directed and acted by Anderson along with an interesting cast which includes Jeremy Sisto, Rashida Jones, Heather Paige-Kent and talented newcomer Trevor Fehrmon. Kevin Smith himself appears in a brilliant cameo along with his wife. In this film Anderson confirms his known abilities as an actor while displaying a surprising writing talent as well as a very confident directorial touch which is quite an accomplishment for a first-time writer/director. The film cleverly alternates elements of farcical comedy to more romantic moods achieving a good overall balance which makes "Now You Know" a film that can be enjoyed by many. This relatively low-budget film also features the added treats of a very stylish cinematography and guitar licks by Slash.

I liked the film as a whole. I found it very funny and fresh. The love story between the two leads was new it hit close to home with the break-up, the kind of break-up that happened because you took your loved one for granted and they got fed up with it but wanted you to realize it without telling you. I gave the film a "9" for the type of film a comedic love story it was fantastic. The one thing I had a problem with is the actor who played Biscuit and his scene after the dog got mowed over it felt as if the actor was reading off a cue card and not acting that really ruined the scene for me. But other than that it was great and I can't wait to see it again.

I traveled all the way to Vulgarthon for the second time from the UK. and this for me one one of the highlights of the Whole Trip. getting to be in the first proper audience for the screening of NOW YOU KNOW. Jeff intro-ed the film and said he was up untill a week or two prior unsure about showing the movie as it was still unfinished. I was not expecting what I got... A damn funny romantic comedy which I will have to own and watch many times. I cannot wait for it to hit the cinemas.. ok not exactly some time soon as I am in the UK. but I want to be able to share this film with friends it is superb. a must watch movie and I hope Jeff gets recognised for his writing and directing efforts. A great ensomble cast with what I was told was some well known faces.. but as I am in the UK I only really recognised Jeff, and Jake Richardson from JASBSB plus the askew regulars.

When this movie gets to the cinemas go and see it you will be rewarded with a well written film with some great moments.

That movie was so fantastic. I can't wait for it or the soundtrack. I already told everyone I know to go see it as soon as it comes out- they looked at me crazy but at least they know or have heard something about it. I think you did a super job. One question Jeff- How did you write the women so well?