Rocket Science
Despite a surfeit of manufactured quirks, this movie from writer-director Jeffrey Blitz manages to be a pointed chronicle of adolescent turmoil. Although it’s not as obvious a crowd-pleaser, it would make a great double bill with “Superbad.” Both resist formulaic storytelling and depict the getting of wisdom through awkwardness and disappointment. Blitz in particular veers in unexpectedly honest directions. We think we know where “Rocket Science” is headed after Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson), a slight, stuttering teen, joins a debate team captained by the girl of his dreams, Virginia “Ginny” Ryerson (Anna Kendrick). But we’re thrilled to find out how wrong we are. Blitz, who also stutters, knows the condition can’t be cured overnight. And he has a realist’s perspective on teen romance. Thompson communicates the rage that builds up inside Hal’s head even when he can’t articulate it in words. (He does a better job expressing himself through action, as when he throws a cello through a window.) Anna Kendrick plays Ginny as Hal’s worldly, motormouthed opposite. Her confidence makes her irresistible — yet Kendrick also shows the fragility of Ginny’s bravado. Her final diatribe is extraordinary. Denis O’Hare, who plays Hal’s absent father, also has a wonderful scene near the end that speaks to humankind’s resilience in the face of abject failure. I saw “Rocket Science” several weeks ago, and these lovely moments stand out in my mind more than the artificial, “Little Miss Sunshine”-style silliness. It’s a strong effort, and I look forward to more from Blitz.