What to Watch This Weekend – The 4:30 Movie

The 4:30 Movie

The 4:30 Movie is a story of falling in love with people and film. In 1984 New Jersey, teenager Brian (Austin Zajur) has a crush on Melody (Siena Agudong). Expending his confidence, Brian asks her out with his friends to see an R-rated movie. To his absolute delight, Melody says yes. When Brian tells his two besties the good news, the results are mixed. Belly (Reed Northrup) totally gets it. Burny (Nicholas Cirillo) does not. Despite being a bit of a womanizer himself, Burny doesn’t understand what Brian sees in Melody. His vocal objections to her joining the trio drive a wedge between the two friends. Over the course of the day, Brian must navigate his complex relationships all while coming up with a fool-proof plan to sneak into the movies with the girl of his dreams.

What works in The 4:30 Movie is its heartfelt relatability. Writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy) draws upon his own personal experiences to tell a rather personal story. Zajur’s Brian is an easy-to-root for character. His optimistic affability is contagious. And almost everyone can identify with the quandaries swirling around him: overbearing parents, authoritative adults, and miscommunication between friends. The 4:30 Movie is at its absolute best when its characters open up about themselves and engage in deeper discussions about their emotions. Finally, Smith turns his love and knowledge of geeky cinema into comedy with homages, parodies, and references. The made-up films and trailers are particularly hilarious for those who remember the 80s genres.

Audiences who remain unamused by raunchy humor may not enjoy The 4:30 Movie as much as others. While half of the jokes focus on the films of the era, the other half are mean-spirited digs and/or misogynistic allusions. One could argue that Smith’s dialogue in the mouths of randy 80s boys is authentic, but that doesn’t mean it ages well. Burny is perhaps the biggest culprit. His attacks on Brian feel so consistent vile that it’s hard to believe that any semblance of friendship exists. It’s as if the negative aspects of most of the characters have been dialed up to 11. Another example is Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Community). His portrayal of the evil theater manager is so over-the-top and one-dimensional that it distracts from the sweetness of narrative.

The 4:30 Movie is a cute movie. Its heart is in the right place, but occasionally Smith’s aggressive attempts at laughs muddle the tone. But they are glimmers of creativity with the zingers, and those might be enough for the nostalgic.

Recommended if you enjoyed: American Pie, Revenge of the Nerds, Porky’s

The 4:30 Movie is available to purchase on various digital platforms.

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