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The Wackness
The Wackness is a 2008 American coming-of-age
comedy-drama film written and directed by The Wackness
Jonathan Levine. The film is a semi-
autobiographical account of Levine's life growing up
in New York City in the 1990s. It stars Ben Kingsley,
Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-
Kate Olsen, and Method Man. It revolves around a
troubled teenage drug dealer who trades pot for
therapy sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance
Film Festival on January 18, 2008, where it won the
Audience Award: Dramatic. It was theatrically
released in the United States on August 1, 2008, by
Sony Pictures Classics. It received positive reviews
from critics, but was a box-office bomb, grossing
$3.3 million worldwide against a $6 million budget.
Levine was nominated for Best First Screenplay at Theatrical release poster
the 24th Independent Spirit Awards.
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Written by Jonathan Levine
Plot Produced by Keith Calder
Felipe Marino
In the summer of 1994 in New York City, Luke
Joe Neurauter
Shapiro is trading marijuana in exchange for therapy
from his psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffery Squires. He Starring Ben Kingsley
graduates from high school but while dealing at a Josh Peck
party, he finds out that Justin and most of his class Famke Janssen
have left for the summer, except for him and his
Olivia Thirlby
classmate and Squires' stepdaughter, Stephanie
"Steph" Squires. When Luke returns home, he finds Mary-Kate Olsen
his parents arguing over money and their probable Method Man
eviction from their Manhattan apartment. Cinematography Petra Korner
Edited by Josh Noyes
Luke starts dealing more marijuana to make money
for his family. After a session with Squires, he bumps Music by David Torn
into Steph and invites her to come with him dealing Production Occupant Films
around the city. She has a great time and gives Luke companies
SBK Pictures
her number so she will not be lonely in the city for
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
the summer.
Release dates January 18, 2008
(Sundance)
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Luke calls Steph but ends up talking to Squires and August 1, 2008 (United
they go out to a bar. While getting drunk and high, States)
they get kicked out for underage drinking. Walking Running time 99 minutes
back from the bar, Luke and Squires start tagging a
Country United States
wall but are caught by the police.
Language English
Steph bails them out of jail and, against Squires' Budget $6 million[1]
wishes, takes Luke out for the day. They end up
Box office $3.3 million[1]
kissing. When Luke gets home, he finds he has
strong feelings for her.
After Luke learns that his family is getting evicted, Steph invites him to her family's house on Fire
Island while Squires and his wife go on a second honeymoon to repair their marriage. On the
island, Steph finds out Luke is a virgin and gives him sex lessons.
After taking a shower and having sex together, Luke tells Steph that he loves her. She reacts with
astonishment, though Luke fails to realize that she is not interested in a committed relationship.
Justin later contacts Steph asking if she wants to hang out.
Luke asks Squires for help selling pot in order to make enough money for college. He introduces
Squires to his client, Eleanor, and they hit it off. As Luke's family is evicted and moves in with his
grandparents in New Jersey, Luke visits Steph for companionship, only to find her on a date with
Justin.
A heartbroken Luke goes to Fire Island to seek counselling with Squires, who is on a bender
because his wife left him. While high, he tries to commit suicide by drowning in the sea, but Luke
stops him.
Luke later talks with Squires inside the Squires' home and Squires wishes him good luck. As he is
leaving, Steph follows him to the elevator to talk to him. However, Luke asks her to not, so he can
fully experience heartbreak and he leaves, leaving a regretful Steph behind. As he walks out of the
complex, he puts in the mixtape Squires made for him and "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the
Hoople begins playing.
In New Jersey, Luke tells his family he plans to become a psychiatrist, wanting to help other people
with their problems. Back in the city, Eleanor beeps Squires and they make plans to hook up that
night. The film cuts to Luke, who is smoking a joint while waiting at a train stop.
Cast
Ben Kingsley as Dr. Jeffrey Squires
Josh Peck as Luke Shapiro
Famke Janssen as Kristin Squires
Olivia Thirlby as Stephanie "Steph" Squires
Mary-Kate Olsen as Union
Method Man as Percy
David Wohl as Mr. Shapiro
Jane Adams as Eleanor
Talia Balsam as Mrs. Shapiro
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Aaron Yoo as Justin
Bob Dishy as Grandpa Shapiro
Joanna Merlin as Grandma Shapiro
Production
Jonathan Levine has said that the film is semi-autobiographical: "'I wish I could say that I sold pot
and I had a shrink like Ben Kingsley, but no, it wasn't like that,' admits Jonathan Levine. 'It's the
details and the backdrop, and a lot of the perspective of this kid and the way that he looks at the
world,' explains Levine. 'The Stephanie character, I guess, is a composite of a few different ladies
who broke up with me,' Levine says with a laugh. 'That happened.'"[2][3]
Filming wrapped up on August 24, 2007. The Wackness was awarded the Audience Award for
Dramatic Film at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[4]
Reception
Box office
The Wackness grossed $2.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.2 million in other
territories, for a worldwide total of $3.3 million.[1]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 136 critics' reviews are positive, with an
average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sympathetic characters and a clever
script help The Wackness overcome a familiar plot to make for a charming coming-of-age
comedy."[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100,
based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[6]
Dennis Harvey of Variety opined, "Like Donnie Darko, Thumbsucker and a few others, The
Wackness treads the familiar teenage male terrain with assurance and distinction." Harvey also
commented, "Peck somewhat oversells the open-mouthed, glaze-eyed stoner act, he's nonetheless
a most appealing protagonist."[7] Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter remarked, "The
Wackness is a tightly packed entertainment. It explodes through familiar teen-transition territory
with dark ironies, but, all the while, touches are sentiments. Under filmmaker Levine's inspired
hand, the performances erupt with precise energies."[8] A. O. Scott of The New York Times stated,
"The Wackness makes a good-faith effort to steer clear of such clichés, and succeeds and fails in
roughly equal measure" and "Levine tries to compensate with a combination of historical
authenticity and low-key emotional sincerity."[9] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave
the film an "B-" and described it as "a studiously offbeat coming-of-age crowd-pleaser."
Gleiberman also wrote, "The best thing about it is Peck, who shows you the sweet, virginal kid
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hiding inside the outlaw poseur."[10]
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars
and noted, "Thirlby gives a sensual, sassy, breakthrough performance. […] But for all its wicked
delights and tasty acting, The Wackness hangs back when you most want it to sting."[11]
Music
Levine wrote in The Dallas Morning News, "Beyond what worked tone-wise, a lot of the music
speaks to what's going on in the movie. There's that 'Heaven & Hell' song by Raekwon when Josh is
up on a water tower looking down, and it's asking, 'Is high school heaven or is it hell?' And 'Can I
Kick It?' by A Tribe Called Quest plays when Kingsley's trying to kick drugs. So a lot of it just kind
of worked thematically."[12]
Levine targeted the most iconic acts of the era, with Notorious B.I.G. on the top of his list. Luke
and Stephanie bond in Central Park over beer and the sounds of Total Featuring the Notorious
B.I.G.'s single "Can't You See". "The What," a song from that album featuring Wu-Tang Clan
member Method Man, who also appears in the film as Luke's supplier, leads off the soundtrack.
Levine says he considered expanding the film's soundtrack to include Weezer and Smashing
Pumpkins, two of the year's biggest non-hip-hop acts, and that the original ending featured
Nirvana's Lithium."[12]
Levine added, "Ultimately, tough choices refined the film's reach, which isn't such a bad thing. But
that doesn't mean it was easy passing that other music up."[12]
The soundtrack from the Sundance submission edit of the movie differs from the final edit, with
several tracks either being shifted, replaced, or cut out of some scenes possibly due to issues of
licensing.
Soundtrack
1. "The What?" -- The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Method Man
2. "You Used To Love Me" -- Faith Evans
3. "Flava in Ya Ear" -- Craig Mack
4. "Summertime" -- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
5. "Can't You See" -- Total feat. The Notorious B.I.G.
6. "I Can't Wake Up" -- KRS-One
7. "The World Is Yours" -- Nas
8. "Can I Kick It?" -- A Tribe Called Quest
9. "Heaven & Hell" -- Raekwon
10. "Bump n' Grind" -- R. Kelly
11. "Just a Friend" -- Biz Markie
12. "Tearz" -- Wu-Tang Clan
13. "Long Shot Kick De Bucket" -- The Pioneers
Home media
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The Wackness was released January 6, 2009 on DVD and Blu-ray.[13]
References
1. "The Wackness" (https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Wackness-The). The Numbers. Nash
Information Services, LLC. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240203144704/https://ww
w.the-numbers.com/movie/Wackness-The) from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved
March 30, 2024.
2. Rea, Steven (July 13, 2008). "On Movies: 'Wackness' writer's life not quite so wacky" (https://ar
chive.today/20221019145129/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20080713_On_Mo
vies___Wackness__writer_s_life_not_quite_so_wacky.html). The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Archived from the original (https://www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20080713_On_Movies
___Wackness__writer_s_life_not_quite_so_wacky.html) on October 19, 2022. Retrieved
October 19, 2022.
3. O'Hehir, Andrew (July 3, 2008). "On the dopeness of "The Wackness" " (https://www.salon.co
m/2008/07/03/wackness/). Salon. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
4. Perez, Rodrigo (March 18, 2008). "Exclusive: 'The Wackness' Soundtrack (And Film) A Paean
To Early '90s Hip-Hop" (https://theplaylist.net/exclusive-wackness-soundtrack-and-fi-2008031
8/). theplaylist.net. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
5. "The Wackness" (https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_wackness_2008). Rotten Tomatoes.
Fandango Media. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240127165615/https://www.rottento
matoes.com/m/the_wackness_2008) from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved
March 30, 2024.
6. "The Wackness" (https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-wackness). Metacritic. Fandom, Inc.
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20240226165209/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-
wackness/) from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
7. Harvey, Dennis (January 19, 2008). "The Wackness" (http://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festi
vals/the-wackness-1200548955/). Variety. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20151030002
443/http://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/the-wackness-1200548955/) from the original
on October 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
8. Byrge, Duane (January 21, 2008). "The Wackness" (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie
s/movie-reviews/wackness-125172/). The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
9. Scott, A. O. (July 3, 2008). "Summer of '94, With Boy, Girl, Love and Dope Sales" (https://www.
nytimes.com/2008/07/03/movies/03wack.html). The New York Times. Archived (https://web.arc
hive.org/web/20221126022303/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/movies/03wack.html)
from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
10. Gleiberman, Owen (July 4, 2008). "The Wackness" (https://ew.com/article/2008/07/04/wacknes
s-2/). Entertainment Weekly. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20221128193836/https://e
w.com/article/2008/07/04/wackness-2/) from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved
March 30, 2024.
11. Travers, Peter (June 25, 2008). "The Wackness" (https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-mo
vie-reviews/the-wackness-250708/). Rolling Stone. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2022
0701212502/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/the-wackness-250708/)
from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
12. "Hip-hop music of mid-'90s defines new movie 'The Wackness' " (https://archive.today/2008093
0171119/http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/music/stories/DN-wacknessfeature_
0717gl.ART0.State.Edition1.4deb33a.html). The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the
original (http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/music/stories/DN-wacknessfeature_0
717gl.ART0.State.Edition1.4deb33a.html) on September 30, 2008.
13. Cabin, Chris. "The Wackness" (https://web.archive.org/web/20090210003904/http://www.filmcri
tic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/The-Wackness). filmcritic.com. Archived from the original (h
ttp://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/The-Wackness) on February 10, 2009.
Retrieved January 8, 2014.
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External links
Official website (http://sonyclassics.com/thewackness/)
The Wackness (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082886/) at IMDb
The Wackness (https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1082886/) at Box Office Mojo
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