Glory Daze

Honestly, much better than I was expecting. Without close examination of this movie's characters and their development, your average watcher would write this movie off as standard party movie genre with no heart or empathy. But, as a fan of this film, I've grown to see it for what it most likely was intended to be...a pleasant, relatable buddy flick whose characters could have only been based almost entirely on personal relationships. Questions we've all asked ourselves, and conversations we've all had exist in this film, in a non-figurative way. Growing up, and out of your comfort zone is all too common of a post adolescent's defining hour and that is exactly what this movie explores.

The music and sense of humor in Glory Daze are proof of a personal reliance towards the materiel and not just some A-hole producer/director trying to cash in on the maturing sentiment. Some might not be able to relate to it because of its seemingly personal aim, have you a "too serious metal dude" or...well, a girl, but I think that for your average free thinker, its an easy to connect with.

I'll keep it short. I'm gonna end with Kevin Smith on this one, I like Affleck, cause he's just a good dude, and so it seems are the rest of the cast and those involved in the creation of Glory Daze. Good dudes, who think, what more could you honestly ask from this movie?

I actually just bought the cassette of the soundtrack of this movie because the track list was amazing. I wish I had seen this movie when I was a teenager, it would have been my favourite film, but watching it as a 34 year old just made me think of a time gone by. Worth a watch even just to reminisce about your teen years.

I absolutely adore this film. I bought it after getting my hands on the soundtrack, which is also awesome, and it really hit the spot. Like many people have said before, if you've ever been in a similar situation, this film will resonate deeply! It really is intriguing to read reviews from people who hated it. Obviously that makes just as much sense as people who loved it, not everyone can relate to the story or understand the journey, but i wouldn't want people to be put off from seeing it purely on the strength of the negative reviews. Great performances from the whole cast, perfectly balanced with a brilliant punk soundtrack. A real gem.

It's two days before Jack Freeman (Ben Affleck) graduates with a liberal arts degree from University of California. He lives with his friends cartoonist Mickey, long-time student Dennis (French Stewart), Slosh who keeps quitting his jobs, and Rob (Sam Rockwell). Rob is planning to move to LA with his girlfriend Joanie (Megan Ward) but he's worried about being so close to her mother. Dennis is offered a job with Professor Luther. Chelsea (Alyssa Milano) has a crush on Mickey but he treats her like a little sister. Jack has no plans for the future as he gets over his ex Dina. He wonders if he could extend his glory daze.

There is an aimlessness to the movie much like Jack. Rich Wilkes is unable to harness that into something more compelling. His directing level is strictly amateurish and holds no promise of anything better. It's fun to see some of these big names as their younger self in a small film. Matt Damon makes a cameo like Ben's lap dog which is fun. It's a rambling film without the skills or the knowing comedy. The cast keeps it interesting.

Before you get excited about a cast that includes the likes of Brendan Fraser, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon and Leah Remini, ("The King of Queens"), let it be stated for the record that the sum total of screen time for these four players is something in the region of three minutes. At the time they were marked as new talent to be watched; before they became stars.

College comedies tend to be crude and downright stupid. While "Glory Daze" does have it's moments of such things it is redeemed by some good ensemble playing. Being the story of a bunch of guys renting a house it's crucial that the bond between the characters of this disparate group be palpable. In this, director Rich Wilkes has succeeded. While dealing with the serious issue of making decisions which will affect the rest of one's life, "Glory Daze" remains light, never losing sight of what it set out to be; a fun movie.

While it's not a whole lot of fun, it is watchable. Ben Affleck is surprisingly good in this early role, but that in itself is a back handed compliment, since it also indicates how little he's developed with his elevation to big star status. Sam Rockwell's humor and reticent charm never fails to work, though he's not called upon to do much. French Stewart is less irritating that one may expect as too is Alyssa Milano.

Interesting mainly for the cast, "Glory Daze' has a nice feel to it, but not one to seek out.