Swingers (1996)

Short: One depressed comedian, Mike (Jon Favreau), takes advice from his incredibly stupid friend, Trent (Vince Vaughn), on how to get over his break-up long time girlfriend and move on with his life. Mike's other friend, Rob (Ron Livingston), abandoned Hamlet off-Broadway (or maybe even on) to come live the life Mike had made seem so desirable. Because, I have yet to mention, they are struggling actors/comedians in L.A..

This movie is such a hidden gem. When it first came out, I tried to watch it because I was under the impression that it was going to be very funny. Unfortunately for the movie, I was about 14, and it went right over my head. Plus, what I caught was a chunk in the middle, so I had no idea. Just no idea.

Luckily, I watched it with a bunch of boys again last year, who liked it for entirely different reasons. I tell you truly, I laughed the loudest. If ever there was a better movie to describe the discrepancies between what men think women want and what women actually want, this is it. I had an English teacher who always said that fiction, especially drama in fiction, hinged on the discrepancy between reality and people's perceptions of reality. While I don't think Favreau (writer) ever knew Mrs. Seaton-McLean, he seems to be taking her ideas quite seriously.

I was watching his show, Dinner for Five, the other day, and he and Livingston were talking about this very film. N.B.: Jon Favreau and four other celebrities eat dinner at a restaurant and talk. That's the whole show. As it turns out, Favreau had written it because he was unemployed, and he had nothing better to do. Then, he got his unemployed friends together, and they made the movie. They weren't all friends before this, but I understand that they are now, to a certain extent. So, as you may have surmised, the film's fairly autobiographical.

Doug Liman, the director, brings it all to fruition, and he does it with panache. I just love the way everything turns out in this movie, and Heather Graham doesn't ruin it with her suckiness, so that's an added bonus.

Alright, well, I'm done. Oh, wait, a couple more things:
1) I have been accused of having a bias when it comes to my reviews. Of course I have a bias - it's my opinion that I am putting forth. In addition, I have a bias apropos the movies I watch v. the movies I haven't seen/the movies I wish I hadn't seen (e.g. Texas Rangers, what was I thinking?). So?
2) No one comments on these things! I know that I see way more movies than most people, and Em usually comments because she watches them with me. Still, this is depressing. And disheartening. And a lot of other sad words that start with d.