Remember the Daze
During the summer of 1999, a group of teenagers, through interconnected narratives, live through their last day of high school and prepare for the future. Holly, once the new girl in school, does whatever it takes to remain popular. Dawn, who is secretly a lesbian, battles drugs. Tori is the valedictorian of her class, but, on the eve of graduation, she decides to experiment with drugs for the first time.
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- Cast:
- Amber Heard , Alexa PenaVega , Leighton Meester , Melonie Diaz , Lyndsy Fonseca , Christopher Marquette , John Robinson
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Reviews
Save your money for something good and enjoyable
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Totally my type of movie, love all of the characters in this film .. they play their roles so well. I only wish John Robinson was in the movie more, i love his character the best not to mention total heart throb. This definitely reminds me of high school years, makes me want to go back in time! I love the 90's. All in all this is a great movie and if you love teen comedy/romance then this is for you! Also, the music in it's great i have the soundtrack and listen to it all the time, so many good songs. I don't have any complaints about the film except for that a few characters i wished to have seen more of during the movie like Bailey and his band friends! Remember the Daze is definitely a 10/10 in my books!
I'm probably in the minority for saying this, but this movie sucks. The movie jumps from character to character and it gets confusing after a while. The cheerleader character seemed enjoyable in the beginning, but I started to hate her after she was so whiny about wanting to get wasted. The only reason I saw this movie is because Amber Heard is in it, but not even she could save this movie. Watching Never Back Down (another Amber Heard movie) will erase the torture I went through with watching this movie. This movie makes Can't Hardly Wait look like Avatar and I hate Can't Hardly Wait. I am baffled at all the positive reviews this movie has gotten. Don't let the skewed numbers fool you. Pass on this or you'll be in a "daze" after seeing this horrible movie!
Remember the Daze reminded me a lot of Degrassi: The Next Generation, only with more emphasis on getting stoned. It probably isn't an accurate portrayal of most high school experiences in 1999, and certainly not of my high school when I graduated in 2005, but it walks the line between being realistic and unbelievable well enough to make it quite interesting to watch. It's also easier to take seriously because it takes on more of an indie film feel than a stoner flick. The cast members all showed great promise in their future acting careers and while they chose a few people who've been in big films before (Alexa Vega, Khleo Thomas), it was equally refreshing to see new faces and talent. The dynamic of the cast was superb, despite how many people were involved. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised, it was much better than I expected it to be based on its description.
How's this for a plot line? "A glimpse into the teenage wasteland of suburbia that takes place over 24-hours on the last day of school". Sounds like "Dazed and Confused", right? "Remember the Daze" feels like a film made by people who did nothing in High school but watch "Dazed and Confused". I'm sure that not all the similarities between the movies were intentional. Let's be honest though, this film is like a poor man's "Dazed and Confused", crossed with "American Pie". I'll start off with a little background information.I myself am just a smidge younger than the Dim Wits portrayed in the film. Class of 2004 (Ugh). I can tell you, without ANY hesitation, this is about as accurate a portrayal of High school life in 99' than "Saved by the Bell" is. This generation was not nearly as hip-to-drugs as the filmmaker wants to believe. EVERY high schooler in this flick is carrying at all times. Please. Not that my generation is any better. You couldn't do a "Dazed and Confused" in the 2000s. Every kid is too busy on Myspace and whatnot to even get out of their chairs. Most high school seniors today couldn't roll a joint if their life depended on it.So, right off the bat, "Remember the Daze" is plagued with a sense of unauthentic narrative. Making things worse are the fact that every character is a stereotype (multiplied by about 100). Not one realistic teen in the bunch. Not that it matters, the only dialogue any of them get is along the lines of "Let's get wasted", or "Who's got some pot". I kid you not; those lines are spoken once every 30 seconds. The cast of young actors are all apt, with a couple doing some above average work. Unfortunately, the fact that they all play whiney degenerates doesn't help. Marnette Patterson, the young woman that plays Stacy, gives by far the most layered and lively performance.This film is far from terrible though. Apart from being fake and overly derivative of a certain other teen/drug film, it does have some finer points. The whole thing moves along pretty well, with some interesting scenarios and occasional humor. The cinematographer also seems to know what he's doing, and the film looks a lot more polished than one would expect. While the film definitely features a bit of phony sentimentality and lame profoundness, it never really demands much from the viewer and provides a consistently pleasant atmosphere.Before I forget, two last thoughts. Was it just me or was the inclusion of the "Photographer kid" beyond pretentious. Ouch. They could have easily cut him out and saved a lot of embarrassment. Although I suppose that lost shot of the photos was suitable. And the title, "Remember the Daze". That's just corny and in no way fits with the tone of the film. They should have just called it "Remember Dazed and Confused", because anyone who watches this will find themselves gawking over the similarities. If you're a fan of the former though, this should be worth a free rental if you've got a coupon lying around. Or better yet, pick up "Can't Hardly Wait", which is leagues more realistic and enjoyable than this.