Trashy 2000s

The Fast and the Furious

Accepted

This week, we wanted to kick back with some movies that defined the film landscape of the early 2000s, a genre which we have lovingly dubbed Trashy 2000s. You know what I’m talking about, the cheesy, easy, and sometimes sleazy movies that feature every variety of frat bro wisdom and fourteen-year old boy humor you could ever dream of. These movies are not deep or profound, and yet they served as the inspiration and foundation of an entire generation’s cinematic preferences. You won’t find any of these films on the Criterion Collection (a tragedy) or with the Rotten Tomatoes score they deserve, because these are not movies meant to serve any purpose other than creating a fun vibe and a good time. I fear the era of the trashy but lovable film is over, as I take note of the disappointing dearth of buddy comedies, chick flicks, and over the top, scheme-y narratives in the past 5 to 10 years. There was a light-heartedness and a predictability to the kinds of movies I’m talking about, so I understand why they’re not for everyone, but I find comfort in the reliability of the trashy movies of my childhood. There’s always been an appreciation for these simple-minded movies for teens and goofballs, but somewhere along the way the market became oversaturated with remakes and reboots and prequels and adaptations of Nicholas Sparks books and movies that try so hard to be critically-acclaimed they might as well have been titled “Oscar Bait”. And while I love a good, heart-wrenching, dynamic, purposeful film, I’m always confused as to why fun, goofy movies are never given any credit. People who want to seem intelligent say their favorite film is Citizen Kane, but if it’s a Saturday night and they’re looking for a movie to watch, why would they ever pick that over Step Brothers? Taste is a peculiar thing, and no matter what your pretentious film friend says, cinematic masterpieces can come in many forms. The over the top action flick was not invented in the early 2000s, but this era of action movies holds within it some of the wildest stunts, some of the dumbest dialogue, and some of the most iconic moments of recent film history. The Fast and the Furious franchise might be the only cinematic universe that has maintained its early 2000s spirit, even as we enter the boring twenties. From what I can glean from the first film, this franchise represents the peak of over the top action flicks, and we were happy to indulge in this delightful delicacy of dudes and driving. The Fast and the Furious was so quintessentially 2001, from its product placement, its heavy reliance on the male gaze, and the questionable script, this movie was marked with all of the aesthetics and attitude of the turn of the century. If I were a man I think I’d almost be offended by all of its obvious pandering: the cars, the speed, the danger, and the endless amount of empty-headed, horny women. And certain, lazy elements of this movie should certainly be re-examined, like, for instance, the decision to title the name of the big-time high-stakes drag race as “Race Wars”… The sketchy special effects and the unintentionally hilarious lines delivered by Vin Diesel and the swimming pool-eyed, Keanu-impersonating Paul Walker were almost too much to handle, in the best way. The chemistry between their characters was not exclusively homoerotic, but Dom and Brian definitely had more sexual tension than either of them had with their respective female love interests. This, along with the fact that the film ended so abruptly, has certainly inspired me to watch the next Fast and Furious movies. I do wonder where the story could possibly go from here, since this movie was, as my sister put it, “Point Break on land”, but I look forward to finding out for myself because this film, in all of its confusing, testosterone-laden glory, was way better than I expected. Accepted, which was actually not our first choice in trashy 2000s comedic narratives (our first choice was Saving Silverman, which is only available to watch with ads? Please), was similarly pleasantly surprising. The eternally young Justin Long, who played a high school senior for twenty years, lead this movie with the enthusiasm of Leo DiCaprio playing a rich douche. Along with the incomparable Jonah Hill, who I really could go on and on about, this cast of college rejects and misunderstood youths made this movie far more heart-warming than I expected. I’m a sucker for an isle of misfits, and every single one of these weirdos delivered in a big, big way. Among the raunchy boy humor and ludicrous plot points, was a very salient argument against college, and a realistic portrayal of the impossible expectations placed upon youth. Absolutely no one has their life figured out by the age of 18, 19, or 25, and this movie expressed this with care and hilarity. And even with all of the bro jokes and half-naked women with little to no depth, this film was still not as misogynistic as The Fast and the Furious. Accepted was, as the naive and unaware pre-nose job Blake Lively said, “So incredibly cheesy in the best way possible”. And that’s all these movies should be! I’ll never understand why film people try to compare these trashy movies against films that’ve garnered actual critical acclaim, because it’s simply unfair. To assume these movies had any intention other than to cause a good time and some laughs is just stupid. These movies exist within their own category, within their own golden era of trash and treasure that hold equal importance and respect. These are movies meant to be enjoyed, potentially with friends, potentially under the influence, and they should be treated as such. The view from the top of film criticism’s ivory tower will forever be lacking, because it cannot recognize the worth of the trashy movies we all hold close to our hearts.