I am no doubt being very generous in my rating, but rather than focusing on all the lousy aspects of this movie, I'll focus on the couple that are decent. I also need to preface this by saying I can't stand Jesse Eisenberg as an actor. In almost everything I've seen him in, I wish someone would punch him in the face. Having said that, as writer and director, and thankfully not in the movie, it was not as bad as expected.
Mostly the positives stem from the ending. While not entirely earned, at least it doesn't end up with some happy ending where the boy gets the girl and the mom "saves" the poor family and everyone learns a lesson about social justice. In fact she gets told in no uncertain terms that hey, guess what, you don't have to go to college in order to have a good and successful life. Nice.
As for Finn, sure he's a whiny smart mouth most of the time, but I actually prefer the fact that he's wrapped up in his own little world without a clue as opposed to the alternative. Unlike the girl he's interested in, who is wrapped up in her own little world as well as completely full and sure of herself. Actually that's being a little unfair to her but the point I like is that he tries to virtue signal, only he has no idea how to do it, he's just some dumb kid trying to fit in and get a girl to like him. Unlike those who are good at virtue signaling, who are either just as idiotic, hypocritical, or in most cases, both.
Again I know the ending is sentimental and not entirely earned. But what I appreciate about it is that it shows the importance of family. Maybe it's meant to be ironic, or maybe it was unintentional, and given movies today it's hard to say. But taken at face value, what it shows is that in the end, no matter all the ups and downs, or the pain love and family might mean, it still has more value, more purpose and more happiness in it than all the SJW crap put together. For that I salute you.
Mostly the positives stem from the ending. While not entirely earned, at least it doesn't end up with some happy ending where the boy gets the girl and the mom "saves" the poor family and everyone learns a lesson about social justice. In fact she gets told in no uncertain terms that hey, guess what, you don't have to go to college in order to have a good and successful life. Nice.
As for Finn, sure he's a whiny smart mouth most of the time, but I actually prefer the fact that he's wrapped up in his own little world without a clue as opposed to the alternative. Unlike the girl he's interested in, who is wrapped up in her own little world as well as completely full and sure of herself. Actually that's being a little unfair to her but the point I like is that he tries to virtue signal, only he has no idea how to do it, he's just some dumb kid trying to fit in and get a girl to like him. Unlike those who are good at virtue signaling, who are either just as idiotic, hypocritical, or in most cases, both.
Again I know the ending is sentimental and not entirely earned. But what I appreciate about it is that it shows the importance of family. Maybe it's meant to be ironic, or maybe it was unintentional, and given movies today it's hard to say. But taken at face value, what it shows is that in the end, no matter all the ups and downs, or the pain love and family might mean, it still has more value, more purpose and more happiness in it than all the SJW crap put together. For that I salute you.