Fix: Early 2000s College Nostalgia, Leads With Chemistry, Remember How Popular Mena Suvari and Jason Biggs Were?!
Platform: Rent or Buy Anywhere You Stream
IMDB Summary:
A college student, branded a loser by his roommates and booted from the dorm, falls in love with a coed who has eyes for their condescending professor.
FYA Summary:
It’s been so long since I’ve seen this movie, I truly can’t remember if I was aware that it was written and directed by THE Amy Heckerling, of the Clueless Heckerlings. While not as timeless and quotable as that movie, nevertheless, Loser has a certain je n’ais ce quoi that has kept me coming back to it (I distinctly remember renting more than once at Ye Olde Blockbuster).
Our polite and corn-fed main character is Midwestern Paul, who heads to the Big City where he is promptly smacked down for being too nice and non-rapey to hang out with his—the true losers—rich, slackery roommates. He immediately falls for the first person who is nice to him: Avril-wannabe Dora, but she’s secretly boning their 35-year-old Lit professor, so Paul is friend-zoned. Despite towing the line of Nice Guy, you can’t help but root for Paul to get everything he wants—once he can finally stand up for his damn self!
Also—the soundtrack for this movie is legit! So many great 2000s gems like one-hit wonder Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag”; SR-71’s “Right Now”; Dora’s favorite band, Everclear makes a concert cameo; Foo Fighters and Blink-182; “She’s So High” by Tal Bachman; and, a song I really only know because of this movie but it’s absolutely perfect in the last scene: “No Myth” by Michael Penn. *sings* Maybe she’s just looking for SOMEONE TO DANCE WITH.
(Whether it’s Heckerling or her music director, they know how to play out a movie as Clueless ending with “Tenderness” is also *chef’s kiss*)
Familiar Faces:
Jason Biggs as Paul, Mena Suvari as Dora
This movie came out only a year after Jason’s breakout role in American Pie; the early 2000s were truly his decade. I was never a particularly big Biggs fan (heh); I don’t think I watched Pie until years later, but he was perfectly cast as the sweetly clueless Paul. It felt like Mena was in ALL the teen movies, and she’s the right touch of vulnerable and confident college girl. These two had chemistry in spades in this movie! I loved their non-date around NYC!
Greg Kinnear as Professor Alcott
UGH Greg Kinnear plays perfectly punchable SO well. Professor Alcott is condescending and pretentious in a way he can only get away with if he sticks to girls who don’t know any better.
Thomas Sadoski as Chris, Zak Orth as Adam, Jimmi Simpson as Noah
There’s borderline too much of these shitbirds in this movie, but my vindictive side enjoys the “updates” we get for them at the end of the movie, and it’s not like they’re that out of line for how plenty of real-life men act when they believe there’s no consequences to their actions. Zak and Jimmi went on to have pretty robust TV careers; they’re all very “oh that guy!” character actors. Fun fact, this is Jimmi’s first IMDB credit.
Plus a bunch of little cameos of ‘90s famous people, like Dan Ackroyd (in a tiny cameo as Paul’s advice-giving dad), Twink Caplan as Dora’s stripper friend, and Andy Dick and David Spade.
Couch-Sharing Capability: High
This movie excels with a friend so you can reminisce about your own (or get excited about your upcoming) college years, get indignant on Paul’s behalf when his roommates kick him out, and get jealous that he moves into a…vet/animal shelter? Okay, living IN the shelter—no, but getting to hang out with all the animals—yes!
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Nicely Buzzed
This movie isn’t so complicated you have to be stone-cold sober to watch, so if you want to make yourself a fun little drinking game, drink every time you hate Paul’s roommates, and then drink when Paul gets back at them in a very Paul way. Also drink when they have a party at the animal shelter and you’re VERY nervous for all the animals (but finish your drink in relief, knowing that the animals end up being fine).
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: A Must
The bummer is you can’t currently stream this anywhere with a subscription, meaning you need to rent or buy it. BUT, if you haven’t watched it, or it’s been, like, 24 years since you HAVE seen it, I think it’s high time you treat yourself to a good rom-com-dram, because the current Hollywood offerings are sadly lacking. (Come back and direct another movie, Ms. Heckerling!)
This movie has aged fairly well, all things considered, and, weirdly enough, it gives me cozy vibes while watching, especially all the NYC in autumn bits (like watching When Harry Met Sally but if they’d stayed college-aged).
