Tadpole
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Movie Reviews of Tadpole
Movie Review: Preppie scores with older chicks
Summary: 4 Stars
I attended a college prep school, but don't remember anything like what happens in the comedy TADPOLE. Perhaps I should have read more of the French philosophers.Aaron Stanford has his debut acting role as Oscar Grubman, a 15-year-old boarding school student returning to his father's NYC home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Oscar's (divorced) mother is French, so he speaks the language and is heavily into French literature, especially Voltaire. Oscar isn't interested in girls his own age, and a peer remarks that Oscar is a 40-year-old trapped in a teenager's body. Oscar carries a heavy weight - he's got a serious crush on his 40-something stepmom, Eve (Sigourney Weaver). Though Oscar has eyes only for Mrs. Grubman, his mental maturity combined with boyish enthusiasm attracts Eve's female friends, who press their phone numbers on him - and more. Eve's best friend, Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), seduces him one evening after finding him wandering drunk and lovesick (for Eve) on the street. The morning after, Oscar is horrified.
This was Stanford's first role after graduating from Rutgers University where he studied theater. Simply put, he's terrific. Neuwirth is positively delicious as the mischievous Diane who toys with the lad as a cat with a mouse. (Any teenage boy should be so lucky!) There's one scene after Oscar's one-night tryst where Oscar, Diane, Eve, and Oscar's father Stanley (John Ritter) go out to a restaurant dinner, and which had the audience almost rolling in the aisles. It alone was worth the price of admission.
Sigourney Weaver is radiant as the unsuspecting Eve, and one can understand why Oscar is attracted. I know I was. John Ritter does well enough as Oscar's college professor father, though my opinion is undoubtedly unfairly skewed towards the negative by the fact that I've never gotten over the actor's relentlessly obnoxious character in television's THREE'S COMPANY.
TADPOLE is short at 77 minutes, and I was left slightly dissatisfied as the film rolled into the credits after what I thought was a too abrupt ending. Perhaps it's because the Diane/Oscar relationship was so richly humorous and fraught with awkward possibilities, and I wanted more of it. However, that said, this is a delightful, must-see movie.
Movie Review: Charming and Out of the Ordinary
Summary: 4 Stars
Oscar is a young man with a problem. Mature beyond his fifteen years, he's enthralled with his stepmother Eve (subtlety played by Sigourney Weaver). He dreams of long philosophical talks and more with her, while rejecting the more appropriate options of the girls his own age. While his obsession goes unnoticed by his father (John Ritter) and Eve, his latent charms do attract the attention of Sigourney's best friend (the ever-so-sultry Bebe Newirth), who is more than happy to seduce and exploit the young innocent.If you haven't spotted the conundrum behind all of this, let me spell it out more distinctly. How can a responsible adult (a classification that probably excludes me) enjoy a movie built on the premise of a forty year old seducing a fifteen year old? If the adult were a man and the teenager was female, there would have been a ton of protests about the exploitation and lack of consequences. It's a reverse Lolita. But despite that critical flaw, Tadpole is an extremely literate movie. The dialogue could have been written by Noel Coward, the cast is polished and the pacing is near-perfect.
In one hilarious scene, Oscar is about to exit Bebe's apartment after their overnight encounter. But he encounters her boyfriend who immediately assumes that Oscar is one of her chiropractic patients. Remarks like "doesn't she just turn you inside/out?" are delivered with therapeutic concern but received as being sexual inquisition, resulting in one very confused teenager, until he realizes that the friend is completely unaware of what had transpired over the last few hours.
I can't help but wonder if the subject matter caused one or two scenes to be left on the cutting room floor, as the movie is incredibly short by today's standards. But if that is the case, it was a justifiable decision as Tadpole overcomes some substantial moral concerns to deliver a charming story.
Movie Review: Tadpole says a lot about the Blue States
Summary: 4 Stars
I finally got to view Tadpole---a few days after the most recent presidential election. The film has nothing directly to do with politics, but inadvertently it reminds one why the Democrats were crushed last Tuesday. Aaron Stanford aptly portrays fifteen year old Oscar Grubman, the son of a Columbia University historian (the late John Ritter) and stepson of a heart disease researcher (Signourney Weaver). This is an liberal elitist family living in Manhattan. Needless to add, their nonchalant attitudes toward sexuality, especially pertaining to older adults enjoying sex with young teenagers is considered disgraceful by the majority of citizens living in the red states.
We observe the precocious Oscar wrestling (often in French) with his existential and romantic challenges. Eventually he beds a woman in her forties (Bebe Neuwrath). This event is not reported to the police. On the contrary, nobody wishes to be judgmental. A teenage boy is supposedly nature enough to enter into such relationships. The United States is indeed split apart by a cultural war. Red and blue staters are barely able to comprehend the world view of each other. Tadpole will remind you just how serious are the differences. This movie is ironically important in a manner which would likely surprise director Gary Winick. You need to see it. This is especially true if you wish to take a peek at our national political future.
Movie Review: Here's To You, Sigourney Weaver
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a low-budget dramatic comedy that tackles the older woman/younger man tale, throwing in a few interesting plot twists. Aaron Stanford plays Oscar Grubman, a mature fifteen year old who is part Holden Caulfield, part Benjamin from the graduate, and part, as another reviewer pointed out, Oedipus Rex. Stanford's film debut is auspicious-I expect we will see good things in the future from this actor.John Ritter is effective as the oblivious father; I didn't even recognize him behind the beard. I was never a big John Ritter fan, but here he is quite effective. Sigourney Weaver is beautiful and sexy as the stepmother (she should be the poster child for "aging gracefully"!). Bebe Neuwirth is hysterical and wonderful as Diane, the older woman who introduces Oscar to the joys of sex. The scene in the restaurant, where Oscar meets some of Diane's friends, is priceless, and all her scenes with Aaron Stanford are delightful.
I found the film to be upbeat, fun, funny, and an enjoyable portrait of the challenges of growing up and learning about sex.
Movie Review: Encore!
Summary: 4 Stars
Tadpole compares favorably to Whit Stillman's work. That should be recommendation enough, but if you need any more reason to check this film out, look at the cast. Neuwirth and the young Stanford are outstanding, Ritter (seemingly delighted to be playing a mature part) and Weaver each give admirable performances (though I had a hard time overcoming Weaver's immediate recognizability as the heroine from the Alien films). If you're familiar with Stillman's work (Barcelona, etc), then imagine less over-the-top verbiage, and also relishing the silent moments a bit more. I'm not sure who is responsible for making Tadpole such a nice film but I'll want to follow both the writers and the director to see what they continue on to; I expect you will also.