Monday Morning Quarterback Part II

By BOP Staff

January 11, 2010

Sorry, bud. Can't retire just yet.

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Jim Van Nest: Very often lately, I've been getting the feeling that Hollywood is trying to force feed me certain actors and telling me they're stars. Gerard Butler is one of those people. And so is Michael Cera. Sure, he's quirky and mildly amusing, but that doesn't make a movie star. So please, Hollywood execs, please stop shoving this kid down my throat.

James Wood: But he's kind of perfectly cast as Nick Twisp. So it's less about Hollywood force-feeding him in this instance, I think. Whereas I'm not totally sure he's perfect to play Scott Pilgrim and I hope that doesn't tank as a result. I think it's more a matter of the movie not quite channeling the best parts of the book and the trailer not channeling the best parts of the movie. It was probably really hard movie to cut a trailer for, I'd guess.

Reagen Sulewski: This is far less a reflection of the star than of the genre. Since the breakout of Twilight, the only genre that's more narrowly focused than those aimed solely at teen girls are those quirky comedies aimed solely at teen boys. At the risk of invoking the Wrath of Kim, look at some of John Cusack's early films, now revered as classics. Better Off Dead made just $11 million and One Crazy Summer made $14 million. Say Anything only managed $20 million. There's ticket inflation to add onto all of those numbers of course, but that doesn't make any of them into hits. Youth in Revolt was just never going to be a big film and it's a mistake to compare it against them. Time will tell if it actually has something to it.




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Max Braden: That's not great, considering he's one of the more prominent faces of his generation even if he's not its biggest box office draw. I think audiences could tell this movie floated between Juno and Superbad, somehow quirkier or more subversive than either. This $7 million is much less than the $11 million Cera opened Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Kat Dennings. I disagree that Cera's career is suffering at all; he's just not going to be Will Ferrell. I fully expect him to establish himself as an actor who delivers more quality than box office in the future.

Matthew Huntley: I think it's combination of Michael Cera overload, the R rating and the fact the movie opened in less than 2,000 theaters. Also, the ads don't make it clear it's meant to lampoon Michael Cera's typical on-screen personality (instead, they make it seem like it's Cera doing his same old shtick). Plus, the trailer and TV spots leave out some of the more inspired aspects of the movie, like the animation and unpredictable plot (it's fairly inventive and clever for a teenage sex comedy). Cera can be a draw, yes, but not as a leading man.

Tom Macy: Ugh, Youth in Revolt? Can we please talk about Avatar now??? Okay, if I have to, I don't think there was really much to support Michael Cera being much of a draw to begin with. His biggest films were overachievers Superbad -which was his breakout - and Juno - where he serendipitously rode the coattails of Ellen Page's breakout four months later. This summer's Year One was a pretty solid bomb and Paper Heart barely got a release. The best comparison is Nick and Nora's Infinite playlist, which took in a decent but tidy $31 million. It'll make its money back - only a budget of $18 million - and judging by the trailer and reviews it seems like it's a decent film. I don't think this opening hurts Cera's future too much.


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