MSPIFF: Secret screening revealed THE WACKNESS

For those of you who were curious (but not curious enough to spend your hard earned cash) about the secret screening at the Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival on Saturday night, it was the hip new film from Jonathan Levine (All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) entitled The Wackness that apparently was a hit at Sundance. Personally, I was hoping for something a little more edgy a little less off the mainstream grid, but whatever.

I'm categorizing The Wackness as a male Juno. The film is hip and the dialogue is apparently how the kids talked in NYC in 1994. The lead character is Luke, a sensitive high school boy who sells pot. Ben Kingsley is Dr. Squires, the juvenile ex-hippie shrink who gives Luke free therapy for weed. The love interest is Stephanie, Dr. Squire's step daughter who, of course, also buys weed from Luke. Stephanie is also responsible for the title, who explains to Luke that his problem is that he always focuses on the wackness of things, whereas she focuses on the dopeness. Right. Yo. Focus on the dopeness, dude. Oh, and Mary-Kate Olsen is in it, too. It's a sweet film, but about the guarantee about not being disappointed.....

The Wackness will open later this summer at a Landmark near you.