A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Tadpole

Date of theatrical release: 2002

Details:

Aaron Stanford

Sigourney Weaver

John Ritter

Bebe Neuwirth

Robert Iler

Kate Mara

Director: Gary Winick

Score: 1/2

The Review: Inevitably, Tadpole will be compared to The Graduate -- I certainly cannot forget the past -- the themes are similar, even if the age groups are altered slightly. Here, a young prep-school adolescent stumbles into a Thanksgiving weekend affair with an older woman, even if it's not quite the women he wanted; the delicious complication is who each of the women are. Weaver is OK as Stanford's step-mom, but Neuwirth is excellent as Weaver's friend and chiropractor. The downside for me -- perhaps a strength, if viewed through another's eyes -- was that some of Stanford's interactions and situations are so excruciatingly embarrassing that I was cringing and hiding my head in empathy. I guess this is good screenwriting, but perhaps I want my adolescent male fantasies to be a little less true to life.

Tadpole was just as long as it needed to be (a short 75 minutes). It's refreshing to see a movie stop when the story is told, and not worry that it's taking up enough theatre time. This apparently made a big splash when released at Sundance 2002.

25-Jan-03

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