“Nostalgia pieces like this are supposed to engineer happy endings, when teenagers survive a bittersweet crucible and emerge as enlightened adults.”
I wouldn’t call this film’s ending happy, exactly, but it absolutely concludes by showing us evidence of Paul’s enlightenment. For all that Gray beats up his younger self, he couldn’t resist …
“Nostalgia pieces like this are supposed to engineer happy endings, when teenagers survive a bittersweet crucible and emerge as enlightened adults.”
I wouldn’t call this film’s ending happy, exactly, but it absolutely concludes by showing us evidence of Paul’s enlightenment. For all that Gray beats up his younger self, he couldn’t resist last-minute self-valorization of the “finished with this bullshit” variety. I’m perhaps being overly harsh toward the film as a whole due to hating that final shot so much.
Oh no no no. You have misremembered how the film ends. (Either that or I have.) I’m talking about a speech that takes place at school and Paul’s reaction to it.
Spoiler alert below, so for those who have not watched AT, be warned!
I'm of two minds about this final shot. Yes, you are absolutely right, Paul's exit from the speech midway is very much in victory mode. If Gray had Paul staying in the dance but closing his eyes while the three "memory" shots zoom out - the entrance of the school, a classroom, his dining room - that probably sends enough of a message of him checking out from his past and forging a new path onward.
But...that might be too subtle. It is a movie, after all, and having Paul walk out and turn back -- and then the three zoom--outs -- it's a stronger statement, more dramatic. But at a cost to alienating viewers like yourself, since the gesture is indeed self-aggrandizing. So you are 100% justified in hating that shot! :)
It's funny -- I just read Mick LaSalle's review and he absolutely detested Paul for all the horrible things that he does. Paul stealing his mom's cash reminded me of that sad moment in Sideways where Giamatti does the same thing, though of course with much more adult-level guilt. That guilt is nowhere in Paul, but instead of brattiness and entitlement, what I saw was the love of his parents. I was nowhere near as bad as Paul as a child, but I certainly got away with a lot more than I should have.
“Nostalgia pieces like this are supposed to engineer happy endings, when teenagers survive a bittersweet crucible and emerge as enlightened adults.”
I wouldn’t call this film’s ending happy, exactly, but it absolutely concludes by showing us evidence of Paul’s enlightenment. For all that Gray beats up his younger self, he couldn’t resist last-minute self-valorization of the “finished with this bullshit” variety. I’m perhaps being overly harsh toward the film as a whole due to hating that final shot so much.
That is a very harsh interpretation of that shot. Let's Rot13 this to avoid spoilers:
V'z nffhzvat lbh zrna gur fubg bs bhe Tenl fheebtngr fghqlvat ng uvf qrfx? Gb zr, gung frrzf yvxr gur evtug erfcbafr gb jung unf unccrarq. Bar bs Cnhy'f ceboyrzf, juvpu jbhyq or n ceboyrz jvgu znal xvqf yvxr gung va uvf fvghngvba, vf gung ur'f abg njner be greevoyl gubhtugshy nobhg enpvny cevivyrtr. Ur unf abj orra znqr njner va gur zbfg qverpg naq puvyyvat grezf cbffvoyr: Uvf sevraq unf orra yrsg jvgu n greevoyr sngr naq uvf sngure unf tvira uvz n fbhy-fvpxravat zrffntr nobhg ubj gur jbeyq jbexf. Fb qevsgvat guebhtu fpubby yvxr vg qbrfa'g znggre vfa'g na bcgvba sbe uvz nalzber. Ur pna'g tb onpx gb gur qbbqyvat pynff pybja ur bapr jnf.
Oh no no no. You have misremembered how the film ends. (Either that or I have.) I’m talking about a speech that takes place at school and Paul’s reaction to it.
Oh right! I mean, okay. Thought it was a low-key, peace-out moment with a good song.
Spoiler alert below, so for those who have not watched AT, be warned!
I'm of two minds about this final shot. Yes, you are absolutely right, Paul's exit from the speech midway is very much in victory mode. If Gray had Paul staying in the dance but closing his eyes while the three "memory" shots zoom out - the entrance of the school, a classroom, his dining room - that probably sends enough of a message of him checking out from his past and forging a new path onward.
But...that might be too subtle. It is a movie, after all, and having Paul walk out and turn back -- and then the three zoom--outs -- it's a stronger statement, more dramatic. But at a cost to alienating viewers like yourself, since the gesture is indeed self-aggrandizing. So you are 100% justified in hating that shot! :)
It's funny -- I just read Mick LaSalle's review and he absolutely detested Paul for all the horrible things that he does. Paul stealing his mom's cash reminded me of that sad moment in Sideways where Giamatti does the same thing, though of course with much more adult-level guilt. That guilt is nowhere in Paul, but instead of brattiness and entitlement, what I saw was the love of his parents. I was nowhere near as bad as Paul as a child, but I certainly got away with a lot more than I should have.