They could call it the dopeness.
First off, if you haven’t seen an Olsen twin in a while and are really craving one, then check out Mary Kate in this. She only has a small part as an experimental drug using, slow dancing hippie with an attraction to older men, but she pulls through. Not to forget, you also get to see Method Man who plays the supplier.
To get to the point. Josh Peck plays Luke Shapiro, a high school senior who has just graduated and awaits his summer as a pot dealer. Now, I had only ever seen Josh Peck in a Nickelodeon show called Drake and Josh, and was wary of how he would perform, but he definitely surprised me in a good way. He is somewhat of a loner, but an extremely nice guy that you would probably want to know. This is how IMDB sums up the movie:
It’s the summer of 1994, and the streets of New York are pulsing with hip-hop. Set against this backdrop, a lonely teenager named Luke Shapiro spends his last summer before university selling marijuana throughout New York City, trading it with his unorthodox psychotherapist for treatment, while having a crush on his stepdaughter.
You might be wondering who this “unorthodox psychotherapist” is played by and I will tell you that he is Ben Kingsley. This is quite possibly the chief reason as to why you should give this movie a chance. Kingsley is a crazy ass kook. He has seen the 60’s and continues to smoke the good stuff. He is an MD and has the ability to prescribe himself a cocktail of many mind and body numbing pharmaceuticals. He is in a loveless marriage with a beautiful woman who is a good deal younger than him. His stepdaughter buys weed from the same dealer. He wants to party and have affairs and break the mold of being a saggy old weird guy. Have I intrigued you?
Olivia Thirlby plays the stepdaughter and love interest of Mr. Shapiro, Stephanie. She is not only popular, but rebellious. A sex goddess that will share a 40 oz and a joint with you. She can party hard, smoke cigs, and be a carefree and thoughtless teenager…kind of the opposite of Shapiro. Perhaps this is where the story comes from. Also, she is absolutely gorgeous. Whenever there is a movie about young people, there must also be young love along side it along with young heartbreak. She looks like she could provide a little bit of both.
If you want to witness one of the freshest and quirkiest triangles of all time, then this is a movie to see. Teenage pot dealer trades pot with over-the-hill therapist for therapy. Therapist smokes pot and pops pills, all the while offering advice and revealing woes to teenage pot dealer. Teenage pot dealer has crush on therapist’s teenage stepdaughter. Along the way, therapist and pot dealer become friends, colleagues, and confused. Sex happens. Love happens. Notorious BIG changes music as we know it. A Tribe Called Quest is the hottest thing on the radio. Teenage pot dealer sells weed out of an ice cream vendor’s cart with a stereo on the side. Juliana serves his first term.
You could call this a coming of age flick. You could, and I wouldn’t argue. Really though, you can learn a lot from this movie. There is more than just insane adventures through the streets of New York City, marital problems, and the embarrassment of premature ejaculation, even though those situations can teach you a great deal.
The characters in this movie have depth and feel, and you feel for them. You know what you want to happen, but you don’t know what will happen. Trust me on that. There is many a surprise in this movie. Let this movie show you something about life that everyone can relate to.
“Sometimes it’s right to do the wrong thing, and right now is one of those times.”
