I know I’m old when the ’90s start getting the nostalgic treatment on film. The 1990s, really? Ah, it was bound to happen. Since the first decade of the 21st century is coming to a quick end, I guess this is as good a time as any to begin looking back at the last decade of the 20th century. The nineties were a groundswell for pop culture. Music, television, movies and the Internet broke loads of new ground. Hip-hop slid into the mainstream, grunge came and went, Tarantino became a household name and the war between PCs and Apple kicked off. Time to take a trip back to 1994, when Biggie was alive and heavy metal was dead. Let’s experience The Wackness.

It’s the summer of ‘94 in New York City. Recent high school grad Luke Shapiro has no friends, but he does have a profitable marijuana selling business. He also gets free therapy from Dr. Jeff Squires (Ben Kingsley) in exchange for some of his stash. Dr. Jeff attempts to help Luke with his problems, in particular, those of the female variety. Luke’s crush happens to be Jeff’s stepdaughter Stephanie, who has Luke locked in the friend zone. Poor Luke can’t help himself though. His obsession with Stephanie heightens once the two start hanging out together. A bored Stephanie gives in to Luke’s desires, which results in him mistaking a summer fling for true love. As the summer winds down, Luke must pick up the pieces of his crumbling life.

The months between the end of high school and the next phase of life has always been common fodder for screenwriters and filmmakers. Writer/Director Jonathan Levine accurately captures the freedom and fear of this time. Luke is symbolic of all teens in that he is about to embark on his personal journey, but lacks the social skills required to handle life on his own. He has no understanding of love and friendship, nor should he at age 18. By contrast, Jeff is an adult who never really grew up. He can’t identify with his wife, which is why their marriage is failing. His relationship with Luke is his most stable, although it could be construed as somewhat pathetic that a 50-year-old hippie is pals with an 18-year-old loner.

Kingsley is amazing in his portrayal of Squires. Watching the guy who played Gandhi take bong hits and screw a young girl in a phone booth is quite a departure, but Kingsley pulls it off with gusto. I find it refreshing to see an actor having fun with a role and Kingsley clearly seems to be enjoying himself throughout. Josh Peck isn’t in the league of Kingsley, but he holds his own as Luke. His misguided romantic endeavors are something all guys who’ve ever had their heart stomped on can relate to. The Wackness slipped in and out of theaters briskly last year. It deserves a watch, especially if you’re a thirty-something like me who remembers the ’90s fondly.

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