The first 20 minutes of the micro-indie film “The Graduates” feels like the first draft of an “American Pie”-style sex comedy – the draft before the bawdy jokes and appealing characters took shape.
Be patient.
“The Graduates” slowly shakes free from its clumsy opening to tell a wry tale reminding us there’s more than one way to recall that tumultuous time in our early 20s.
The film, now available via streaming at Amazon and iTunes, follows four high school graduates out for the standard hormonal fun during Senior Week. That means sex, drinking … and more sex.
At least that’s what the pals tell each other. But each has his own awkward relationship with sexuality. One has a steady girlfriend but is taking things slowly. Very slowly.
The group punk – Nickie (Mike Pennacchio) – is all about sex and fighting, but beneath that boorish facade lies a pretty wounded soul.
They often turn to their older pals for guidance, but it’s unclear they know any more about relationships than they do.
“The Graduates” doesn’t follow the big set piece brand of humor. The jokes are smaller, quieter, but they register all the same – save a vomit gag that feels stripped from an R-rated big budget film.
Writer/director Ryan Gielen maximizes the Ocean City setting without steering his story toward pandering conclusions. The dialogue almost feels too real at times, particulary during the party sequences. Viewers would be better off not overhearing the back and forth blather between teens on the make, but it does add another layer of authenticity to the tale.
“The Graduates” is a modest but valuable addition to a genre too often treated like an excuse to trot out the latest brand of sexually suggestive hijinks.
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