As prudish as I can be about crudity and profanity and bad behavior in modern movies, which is sometimes pervasive, it is more often the style in which it is presented than the subject matter which bothers me. What I dislike is cringe-inducing lewdness, so often shown as regular, ordinary behavior in the modern world, in films that purport to be hip and witty. I don’t find them so. But when good writing surrounds questionable content it can turn tasteless dreck into fine cinematic cuisine. I think this comedy is a decent example of this alchemy.
Gene Stupnitsky’s film, evidently based upon a real incident, finds Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), a thirty-something woman in desperate straits, agreeing to seduce a young high school senior, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), who is socially inept, before he enters college (this is all arranged by his parents, played by Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti). Their subsequent relationship is fraught with awkwardness and embarrassment, yet the characters are provided with dignity and humanity during their misadventures.
What could have been cringe-worthy is instead only slightly creepy, due to the sharp writing and very effective portrayals by the stars. Lawrence imbues Maddie with self-aware irony, yet plays the role seriously and as straight as can be. Maddie is very sexy, yet very vulnerable, and certainly flawed, yet fundamentally appealing. If Lawrence were not a star before this role, I think this would make her one. And Feldman does more with his stereotypical nerd role than I would have thought possible.
The result is an offbeat comedy with wild elements that is told with a great deal of heart. By the end of the story we empathize with everyone, from the helicoptering parents who smother their son to Maddie’s recent boyfriend, still nursing his bruised feelings. Everything is made relatable and compellingly understandable; this is the way to approach and present material that could be overtly offensive or, worse, stupid. I was impressed. ☆ ☆ ☆. 8 July 2023.