DVD Review: The Wackness

Ben Kingsley Hogs the Spotlight as an Ageing Hippie in Lowbrow Drama

Jan 20, 2009

In Jonathan Levine's The Wackness, Sir Ben Kingsley co-stars with up-and-coming actor Josh Peck, as a psychiatrist helping a hapless teen while facing his own issues.

It is the very hot summer of 1994: Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) is a typical young student, who just graduated from the local public school, and who is doing well financially, selling pot to a multitude of clients, under the guise of an ice cream vendor all over his neighborhood. Having no friends of his own, and unable to stand his parents or his lack of a future in any career, Josh's only real connection to the real world and its harsh realities, comes via his therapy sessions with Dr. Jeffrey Squires (Sir Ben Kingsley), a well-to-do, yet bored middle-aged shrink, whose life isn't exactly much better than that of his patients.

While Dr. Squires tries to help Luke figure out his young life, he also seeks to recapture the carefree essence of his lost adolescence, so to escape the hapless marriage he has to wife Kristen (Famke Janssen), and non-existent relationship to his step-daughter Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby). Deciding to go off exploring the city one hot, fine afternoon (while smoking some excellent weed and drinking beer, naturally), Luke and the doctor share each other's regrets, hopes, and experiences, all the while meeting some of Luke's more colorful clientele (which also includes Mary Kate Olsen as a flighty 90's flowerchild).

Through repeated meetings with Dr. Squires, Luke soon starts hanging out with Stephanie, who enjoys Luke's company, for his simplicity and his willingness to pay attention to her. Together they spend a good portion of the summer of '94 exploring their life options, their taste in drugs, as well as each other, in a series of awkward sexual encounters.

When Luke becomes a bit too infatuated with the lovely Stephanie (even daring to say those three magic words which unavoidably come with first love), she shrinks back from him, not wishing to get involved in any sort of relationship. This heartbreak causes much turmoil for young Luke, who of course seeks out the good hippie doctor, who himself is slowly coming to terms with the end of his marriage, and is facing an uncertain future.

Together, doctor and patient try to help each other, while trading mixed tapes, and enjoying any and all pills and joints that may help them coast through their problems.

Director Jonathan Levine manages to recreate an era not so long ago, that of hip-hop fueled NYC in 1994, with aplomb. The city almost acts as a character itself, a playground for the story's characters to find themselves.

Josh Peck is refreshing as young Luke Shapiro, a boastful teen obsessed with presenting an implacable facade to anyone who dares to try and get close to him. This type of alternative persona was prevalent at the time, that of the young white gangsta, whose identity was shaped by the music he so loved.

Sir Ben Kingsley tries to explore another tragicomic role in portraying Dr. Squires, however the "Sir Ben" effect is incredibly hard to overlook, and so the Gandhi actor once again causes a film to fall prey to his own renown. What remains is a quirky character who happens to sound and act like most other Kingsley roles. One may just as well tried to cast a Patrick Stewart caliber actor as a grocery store clerk --- it just doesn't ring true. Neither does Kingsley's portrayal of an ageing hipster.

As for the rest of the cast, they either phone in what little of their performance was given a chance to shine (Famke Janssen misses the boat on this one), or aren't given a fair chance altogether (as the potential love interest, Olivia Thirlby barely gets a chance to make her mark).

Though well written and well conceived, this Sundance award-winning film just doesn't have enough momentum to keep the viewer focused, preferring to concentrate on its character's problems, rather than pursuing a typical linear story.

It would be best to skip the unremarkable extras on this one, which includes a brief "A Day with Jonathan Levine" featurette, offering a glimpse of the labour intensive press junkets and phone interviews, leading up to the L.A. Premiere. Also included is the usual theatrical trailer.

6 out of 10 for being well written, but for uneven pacing and laboured performance by Kingsley.

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