Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Brad's Status 2017


     Brad Sloan takes his teen son Troy to the East Coast to check out colleges.  Brad doesn’t know that Troy would like to go to Harvard?  Brad also doesn’t know if he can afford Harvard and he didn’t know the school guidance counselor said Troy had a good chance for admittance?  Brad is having a midlife crisis and he’s regretting that he went into charity work instead of going for the big money like his friends.  He’s not even sure they are still his friends since they are far apart in lifestyles.  Brad, his wife Melanie and Troy live in Sacramento.  Brad feels this location doesn’t indicate he successful or high powered?  The family moved there for Melanie’s job and Brad can work anywhere.
     Usually Ben Stiller plays a slacker and he does somewhat in this film but he just thinks he is a slacker.  He’s having trouble sleeping because of his worries.  He talks to his wife but she’s not worried.  Brad tends to get mad at Troy when he makes mistakes.  But it’s because he wants the best for Troy.  Just because a person is wealthy, makes speeches, gets the primo restaurant table and appears on television doesn’t make them a somebody!!  What about the personal traits that really matter in a person??  3* (This movie is OK)

102 min, Comedy directed by Mike White with Ben Stiller, Austin Abrams, Jenna Fischer, Michael Sheen, Jemaine Clement, Luck Wilson, Shazi Raja, Luisa Lee, Mike White, Xavier Grobet, Adam Capriolo, Felicia Shulman.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, 82% critic 56% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon Video 3.2* out of 5* with 333 reviews, Metacritic 71 out of 100 with 40 critics 7.1 out of 10 with 41 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.
Special Note:  Filmed in Boston, Massachusetts; Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  The Writer/Director Mike White thought of his own life when he wrote the script.  His father worked as a minister and questioned his success.  White partially made the film to thank his dad and to show that he considered his father to be a success.  Ben Stiller is 47 in the film but he is actually 51 years old.

No comments:

Post a Comment