Meet Nick Twisp (Michael Cera), a desperate teenage virgin who resides in Oakland, California. Early in the film Nick quips, “It’s amazing and incredibly irritating to me how much action everyone else around me seems to be getting.” Nick is even more acutely aware of his (unwanted) celibacy than the average teenage boy because his divorced parents make little effort to be discrete about their own sexual activities, which often take place somewhere within Nick’s earshot or line of sight. For example, Nick’s mother ( Jean Smart) has a live-in boyfriend who can hardly keep his hands off of her, while Nick’s father (Steve Buscemi) can hardly keep his own hands off of his twenty-five year-old livein girlfriend who trounces around in revealing bikinis and miniskirts.

Only one other person shares Nick’s abstinent plight: his friend, Lefty (Erik Knudsen). Lefty, a virgin like Nick, prefers to stay at home, fantasizing about a girl that he has had a crush on for years, rather than daring to actually talk to her. Nick, on the other hand, has mustered up enough courage to try to converse with girls, but has found that none of the women in Oakland seem remotely interested in a romantic relationship with him.

When a series of unforeseen events call for Nick, his mother, and his mother’s boyfriend to make a brief stay in a trailer park named Restless Axles, some two hundred miles away from Oakland, Nick welcomes the change of scenery with open arms, probably hoping that the women outside of his hometown will be more accepting of his romantic advances. While walking to the trailer park showers one morning, Nick meets Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), the girl of his dreams. He is instantly captivated. From this point on, the film spins into a tale that accounts Nick’s endeavors to win Sheeni’s affection. Some of these endeavors are outrageous and require the “help” of Francois (also played by Michael Cera), Nick’s rebellious alter-ego who is smooth-talking, edgy, and exudes a devil-may-care attitude. With Francois by his side, Nick gains the confidence he needs to finally get the girl and end his streak of celibacy.

Youth in Revolt handles familiar issues associated with teenage angst, like sex, virginity, and drugs, and although the film is similar to other comedies concerning adolescents, it possesses a sort of welcome novelty that is all its own.

One source of the film’s freshness is the presence of Francois, Nick’s alterego. Although Francois uses vulgar language and is sometimes rude, the character provides a playful contrast to mousy, sensitive Nick. It is an interesting change to see Michael Cera, who plays both characters, in a role like Francois, which is different from the Nick-like roles into which he has primarily been typecast. The interaction between Nick and his alter-ego is often hilarious, as it offers an external representation of the internal conflict (bad-boy rebel vs. mildmannered goody-two shoes) that the main character is experiencing.

Another source of originality is the film’s style. For example, throughout the film, there are a few memorable slowmotion scenes which enhance the mood of the picture. One of these scenes occurs directly after Nick meets Sheeni for the first time at the trailer park showers; the slow-motion adds a perfect comedic touch to this scene as it emphasizes the excitement of the main character. Another testimony to the film’s style is the inclusion of stop-motion animation and other such artistic flourishes which occur at a few points within the movie.

Yet another fresh aspect of Youth in Revolt is its soundtrack. The soundtrack features a mix of music from various genres. For example, a jazz standard from Jo Stafford is found amongst indie rock songs, folk music, and short pieces composed by John Swihart. Each of the music choices for this film blends seamlessly with the scene that it accompanies.

In all, while Youth in Revolt deals with common issues of the teen comedy genre and may be a bit ridiculous or crude at a few moments, it ultimately comes across as a humorous love letter in which the timid good guy wins the pretty girl. Youth in Revolt will be playing at the Pacific Theateron April 30 and May 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Published in : Lifestyles, Volume 101: Issue 31