Superbad vs. Rocket Science
Background: Superbad was a surprise block-buster last summer, with summer box office receipts topping 120 million with no real “big name” attached to the project besides Judd Apatow, who might have the most annoying name ever for someone who is mentioned so fucking often in comedic film circles. People fell in love with Michael Cera (deserved), Jonah Hill (I *sigh* out of annoyance, not admiration), and some guy named McLovin, who was funny because he was dorky and occasionally sounded like an extra from Menace II Society.
Rocket Science was an indie darling that set Sundance aflame with the becoming-a-little-too-typical-so-might-take-away-from-the-quirkiness story about a high school character with some kind of affliction (in this case, a stutter), teen angst, unrequited love, etc. Penned and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the mastermind behind the “this makes me feel very awkward so I’m assuming this is good” documentary Spellbound, the film would fail to get out of the gate, lacking the Juno buzz required for this type of film to get any sort of box office receipt (it made a whopping $714,000)- not surprising considering the lack of recognizable actors.
Common Ground: More than one might expect. Jonah Hill, who I at first tolerated but now am tempted to find out the real story1 stars in Superbad and has a humorous bit role as the head of the philosophy club in Rocket Science. Both films deal with high school nerds trying to find an identity- in Superbad this is seen through the relationships the two have/ are trying to form whereas in Rocket Science the focus is much more on self-recognition.
Let’s Fight!: I think there is one thing you need to know about both films: Superbad is based in L.A. (or some other idyllic place on the West Coast) and Rocket Science is set in Jersey- and not even “suburb of New York” Jersey, but rather New “outside of shithole Trenton” Jersey. While this might seem like a completely throw-away fact to most, I think it is imperative to the outlook on life that the films present.
Before I take my deep breath and start my rant, I’d like to make one thing crystal- I liked both films a lot- both had a reference or two to high school that I found to be astute and meaningful and both films did the job they set out to do extremely well.
Characters: Might as well as start on the easiest topic first- Rocket Science has characters that should (read: won’t) be canonized in American film history; Superbad has a character named McLovin. Rocket Science’s protagonist, Hal Hefner, is a bright, squeamish kid from a recently broken home that has no real desire to be the popular kid in school- he subtly knows the complete banality of the High School social structure, and is only forced to come out of his shell after swayed by the cute but not Superbad cute girl/ antagonist to join the debate team (recall, he has a very serious stutter). And he is on one of the lower rungs of the interesting characters ladder. From there you have a kleptomaniac, organization-obsessed brother, a Tracy Flick like go-getter, a creepy neighbor obsessed with Kama Sutra, and a speech impediment teacher who prefers that Hal’s impairment dealt with ADHD instead of stuttering. Superbad has two nerdy kids, one who uses a lot of profanity and references to film makers, the other who could be hermaphroditic. In fact, the only interesting characters in Superbad are those with bit roles- crazy drunk guy McLovin accidentally stops, that coke-head who goes crazy, and Joe Lo Truglio’s character (the guy who hits Jonah with a car). This isn’t even close: Rocket Science.
Music: Superbad: pretty good white boy funk. Rocket Science: Violet femmes. Toss Up.
Just get to the fucking point Nick: Superbad was great for what it was- a Porky’s-esque farce through teenage sexuality and social life- but Jonah Hill damn near ruined it for me. Instead of just barking generalizations about the porky little guy, I’ll specifically state them:
1. He’s incredibly vulgar- Now, I’ll grant you the fact that this is coming from the guy who discussed the infamous Rod Stewart swallowing of semen in a public restaurant much to the shock of many friends. But I’ll also grant you that talking about washed up rock stars drinking substantial quantities of body fluids is hilarious, discussing how the pornography charges on your credit card bill will show up is not. Not to mention that this is the kid who used to draw countless dicks while a juvenile2
2. He’s a bitch- Alright dude, I’m sorry your best friend decided to get off of his ass and go to one of the best universities in the country- now please, fucking please, stop crying about it. I know splitting up with friends is no picnic but whining about his future roommate and complaining that he is getting left is a guarantee to never having friends, period. Not to mention that if a dude spits on you and calls you a “faggot”3, you punch him- you don’t wait for your terribly weak looking friend to clean house for you.
3. He’s completely naive: So, let me get this straight: you’ve been picked on all of your high school career, can barely speak to the girl of your dreams, and are typically called out for being miserable and yet you think that if you get booze (with an ID you don’t have, mind you) and bring it to some chick’s party that Pretty McBigTits will sleep with your tubby ass? Give me a fucking break kid! I know Facebook has killed social interaction for a generation, but has it also somehow manipulated our self-perception? could this kid just go to college and develop a cocaine habit already?
Ah, that feels better. Rocket Science, on the other hand, showed a far more realistic version of high school where not all the girls look like they are on The Hills, people don’t always get what they want, and people actually come to terms with their short-comings instead of completely neglecting them. I’d be far more in detail about Rocket Science, but knowing that many have yet to see the film, I don’t want to ruin it for them. I’ll just say this- while Superbad probably had the bigger laughs4, it also lacked the heart to look at the topic in an even way. Sure, not all films are supposed to be realistic, but the ones that at least are seeped in reality (example: not completely shitting all over what your Home Economics teacher does for a living) tend to prove to be more meaningful- weird kids are introverted, contemplative, hesitant; not bawdy, obscure reference making food vaccums. Sure my high school had plenty of nerds, but this idea of them all wanting to be popular like the kids in Superbad is completely underestimates who they are- I found them to be much more like Hal Hefner. Plainly put, Porky’s: Superbad as Rushmore, Election, and The Squid and the Whale: Rocket Science. Winner: Rocket Science
1 My guess? He found a studio executive just sucking face with some form of wild-life. Sure enough, next month- “Jonah, you’re in a Sandler movie!”
2 I found this part to be bizarre- people who do that end up collecting peoples’ hear and shit
3 Isn’t that word outlawed in California?
4 Spoiler: No Period Jokes in Rocket Science!
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