Ask Me Anything (2014) User Reviews

Realistic

[sparklyguitars · 7/10 · 12 June 2016]

I actually liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would. At first glance it seems like a typical teen movie without any substance, but trust me it's not. I think the way Allison Burnett structured everything was very cool and the ending was thought-provoking.

The ending confused me at first, but after I re-watched it a few times I think I get the idea. The whole movie, we were seeing her life through the eyes of her blog-viewers. At the end, we're still her blog-followers, except that now Katie/Amy has gone missing, and her mom is writing the blog entry. Amy had been embellishing her stories. In reality, her life was much less of a soap-opera than we thought it to be. Shows that perspective changes everything.

What really goes on behind the TV, the news, gossip magazines? Probably something completely different from what we think.

Good movie with an excellent ending

[telavivid · 6/10 · 5 November 2017]

Most people loved the movie, but hated the ending. I thought the movie was interesting, but the ending was really outstanding and raised the level a lot. I'll try to explain why.

The movie is about a young, promiscuous girl with a difficult childhood, alienated by her dad, developing a crush on one older man after the other, and at the same time being fresh, confident, conflicted, immature and smart. It's a pleasant watch.

The ending however really got me, because it made me realise that everything previously shown was merely her version of life. All the people according to her presentation were beautiful, interesting and funny, played by outstanding actors. Regardless whether the character was likable or unlikable, all seemed really vivid and special.

When the reality was presented, it was grey and bleak. The people in her life were regular, some even appeared like dubious creeps. This is an important moment. The man in the bookstore was initially some wonderful, warm person, full of understanding and wisdom. In reality he gave the impression of a guy, you'd better not come near to at all. Her best friend Jade was gorgeous, sassy and funny, but in reality she looked like a junkie hooker. People often do not perceive reality objectively, but through a lens that makes it more like they wish reality was. The ending was the wake up call and I highly appreciate the director's decision (who's also the novel author) to take this approach.

6/10 for the story and 10/10 for the ending

Are you kidding me with this ending!?

[morganleigh-77173 · 5/10 · 19 March 2015]

First of all, I would like to make it clear that I have not read this book, nor did I see any previews for the film before I rented it.

I was very interested in the journey of the main character as a young and somewhat promiscuous girl coming out of high school, and trying to find herself and deal with her many issues through the use of an anonymous blog. I actually would have given this movie about a 7, UNTIL, I was completely blindsided by the absolutely ridiculous PSA that was tacked on as a twist ending. Those last 5 minutes ruined the entire movie for me. I thought that the story of this young girl dealing with her demons and coming to terms with how difficult and confusing life can be was honest and easy to relate to. However, there is absolutely no reason that this story needed to take such a drastic turn into some type of abducted girl/murder mystery in literally the last 5 minutes of the film. Please do not misunderstand me, I love a good twist! However this was in no way good, or added anything positive or interesting to the story.

In my opinion, the ending felt like some poorly made public service announcement, warning parents of the dangers of social media. Granted, those dangers are real, but this was an awful way to portray them! Not only did this character's change her own name, and the names of everyone she wrote about, there was no evidence that she wrote about where she lived or worked. Furthermore, none of the 3 men that she became involved with during the course of the film, she met online. Therefore, what the hell was the point of adding such a ridiculous, and honestly deflating, ending to an otherwise interesting movie!? I am aware of the danger of creating this alternate life online, but I do not feel that in this particular case, it made any speck of coherent sense with the rest of the story.

I rated this film a 5 because I did like the main character, and felt that all of the actors involved gave a good effort in their performances. However, if I could rate the ending only, it would receive a something like a -2, and that's being generous. I blame no one other than the writer/director for this lower score.

final twist needs better foreshadowing

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 2 June 2015]

Katie Kampenfelt (Britt Robertson) is cheating on her boyfriend Rory with the older Dan Gallo (Justin Long) who has a girlfriend named Martine. To her mother (Molly Hagan)'s dismay, she's deferring college for one year. Her counselor suggests that she write a blog. Her father (Robert Patrick) is a drunk ex-sports writer. She gets a job at Glenn Warburg (Martin Sheen)'s bookstore. Her mother's boyfriend Mark finds out that Warburg has a criminal sexual past and she's forced to quit. Then the Spooners (Christian Slater, Kimberly Williams-Paisley) hire her to be their nanny. Jade (Gia Mantegna) is her best girl friend. Joel Seidler 3 years older from school keeps calling.

This story needs somebody to streamline the myriad of characters. If the older flings can be combined, it would allow them to be more compelling characters. There are so many characters vying for screen time that the movie becomes scattered. Also the early light tone is off-putting especially with the promiscuous girl. It's not a sex romp and needs some dark seriousness injected into it early on. Britt Robertson is an interesting young actress who keeps this movie on track. Then there is the final reveal. No spoilers. It's a fascinating turn but one that has little foreshadowing. I wasn't looking for a reveal and it's not as compelling. By comparison, a great reveal like Sixth Sense has a ton of clues.

Such an Underrated Movie

[sami-96314 · 7/10 · 13 April 2015]

This is one of the very few movies I've watched in my lifetime that I felt in my soul. I've read some of the bad reviews for this movie and I'm honestly disappointed. The people that rated this movie with low scores are the one that are incapable of relating to it. There were several times were I had to pause the movie and let the events and dialogue sink in. Maybe it's because I can relate to it very well. Or maybe I just have a very messed up life.. The only part I didn't like was the ending. The manner that the story line ended in was kind of calming. But the short biography at the end of the movie seemed like something out of a Forensic Files episode.. It gave me the chills and ruined some of details that I liked within a couple of the main characters... I also felt like this movie left out a lot of details. Characters simply popped into the movie with barely any background to follow and it was a bit confusing.. Overall, this was a great movie. Listen carefully to the dialogue, some of it is pretty deep..

Surprising Little Film

[joshdavidheath · 7/10 · 24 May 2016]

I went into this film knowing nothing and i was pleasantly surprised. I have not seen this film mentioned anywhere and I'm quite shocked as it is a great teen drama.

This film explores human behaviour and morals but does so in a way i did not find preachy which allowed me to think about characters' behaviour and assess for myself what I believed to be right and wrong. This film is not for everyone and the ending, which i will not spoil, may leave a bitter taste in some peoples' mouths but in my opinion it tied the film off in a way that matches the tone of the rest of the film.

There are strong performances throughout, especially for Britt Robertson (Katie), and all the characters came across as mostly believable. Cinematography is also fairly strong yet isn't extravagant enough to distract from the unfolding story.

My only issues are the editing can be somewhat distracting or disjointing in parts but that may be a personal grievance, I also felt the run time could have been 15 minutes or so shorter as some scenes felt irrelevant and mundane although that may be the intention and the ending could leave some people disappointed.

Overall it is a solid coming of age tale with strong characters and acting with only a few issues to be found.

7.9/10

JH

Misses the mark because of the genre packaging

[azcoppen · 6/10 · 25 December 2014]

If, like me, you instantly recoil at the thought of listening to teenage angst narration and/or female coming-of-age first world problem melodrama, persist with this one. The film's beginning is deliberately deceptive. It's an interesting take with a subtle darkness that's worth the time, and the mystery is back-loaded (Usual Suspects-style) into the last ten minutes. It's similar in theme to the magnificent "White Bird in a Blizzard", but sadly lacks the structure to give it the same mounting discomfort.

The main problem with the piece - and i suspect it comes from the original book, which is written as blog posts - is that it seems it would be more strongly packaged as a foreboding suspense thriller, rather than the way it's been predominantly presented as a coming-of-age drama: darker, more vicious, and more twisted. What's lack is a sense of dramatic irony - in this case, you need a foreshadowing of the tragedy that's coming to keep you hooked, but the hook only comes when you've invested all the time to watch til the end. The payoff isn't quite there. It plods, rather than builds up.

SPOILERS AHEAD - if you need the reason to persist past the first impression:

This film is about an previously-abused teenage girl who has become pregnant, and mysteriously disappears without a trace after receiving threats from confessing all the secrets of her promiscuity on an pseudo-anonymous blog. The story and characters are ultimately fantasy representations she's writing about (as she's changed the details she's put out publicly), and the real-life people are revealed at the end: all the people we see are from her imagination, and/or ours. You have a girl who has been abused taking on all the subtle narcissistic traits of youth, swimming amongst other perceived selfish companions, reflecting on the millennial preoccupation with recording everything online without considering the consequences.

The central driver of the entailing mystery seems to be cyber-bullying (from talking about planning to have an abortion publicly on her blog), but not much attention is paid to it - odd, when you consider her mysterious disappearance at the end is hung on it. Personally, i'd have thought the hardest-hitting finale would have been a reveal of the nicey-nicey sex offender boss having killed her, but it's entirely left open (it's implied she's dead, although we don't know). That would certainly have hurt to watch and been a killer twist.

The lead (Robertson) is fantastic, and carries herself incredibly well next to some serious heavyweights who are well placed.

Overall, with a stronger, layered structure and unraveling pace it could have been a real masterpiece. Not that anyone should want films to be too obvious, but in this case the "mystery" vagueness is too foggy to punch the story home with a bang. Usually you want a film to be faithful to the original book, but on this occasion, it doesn't translate well to screen without a stronger story arc for the medium: 3 acts of "observational" material doesn't give you the right impetus a twisting film plot needs.

However, it's definitely worth the time to savor what it could have been, if you can get past the idea of what you think it probably is.

Okay... Until the Last 5 Minutes

[llsee · 4/10 · 6 March 2015]

***Spoiler Alert*** First, let me say that I have NOT read the book. For all I know this could be a perfect adaptation of the book. I watched the movie because I like Britt Robertson, a decent young actress who seems destined to play teenagers her entire career, and it has a good supporting cast. The movie seemed pretty straight forward while watching. A 'coming-of-age' story about a young woman who has some serious flaws. After investing an hour and half in this young woman's story, the movie is turned 180 degrees with a voice-over by the mother in the last 5 minutes. So, the entire tone of the film was totally abandoned at the end with this out-of-the-blue coda.

It left me wondering, what is the point of this film? Is it a polemic about stranger abduction? A warning to parents to watch your kids? I do enjoy films with unresolved endings. But I hate films that end with a total twist. It is like watching a murder mystery, only to discover that the perpetrator is a character who was not introduced during the entire story.

Showcase for Britt Robertson

[Unknownian · 25 February 2017]

I like Britt Robertson for all the right reasons. She is beautiful, and extremely talented. This movie, however entertaining, is really a showcase of Britt's talents. She truly 'lives' this role.

I realized her unique acting talent years ago in "Dan in Real Life", where she plays the middle daughter of Dan. I knew she was going on to bigger roles, and a successful Hollywood career if she wanted it.

In this movie aimed at the adolescent audience, she plays a confused teenager writing a blog revealing her daily activities and secrets, advised to do so by her high school guidance counselor in lieu of moving onto her first year in collage.

The main issue that Robertson has had to deal with in tinsel town is the fact that she is typecast as a teenager roll after roll, even though she is getting close to 28 years old at this writing. In the 2015 feature film Tomorrowland with costar George Clooney, she plays a high school student as well.

If you like Britt Robertson, or if you aren't aware of her yet, and you want to see someone "nail an acting role", I strongly advise this movie. However, if you are a prude, or someone that has hangups about a young woman walking around her house in panties and a t-shirt, please pass on this movie, and go see a shrink.

What kind of ending was that?

[itsthesherf · 7/10 · 10 April 2015]

At first, I thought this movie would be some silly chick-flick that ended with your typical love story or something similar, but it was nothing like that. This movie is modest and deep at the same time. Ask Me Anything kept my attention very well throughout the entire movie, not once did I want to shut it off or feel I was wasting my time.

I was engulfed in the movie. Partially because I can relate to the main actress in the movie with wanting to take a hiatus from school after high school (I never did though), and liking older men. I also happen to like movies or stories with relation to the online world, feeling hidden online or just keeping a secret identity. A lot of people could very much relate to this situation or feelings, including myself. It kind of gives you a look into the world of a slightly promiscuous or curious, rather, younger female after high school.

They picked a great actress to play the main role, not only is she gorgeous and fit the part well, but she just fit into whoever this character was supposed to be, and it worked. The movie was not just centered around her online journal life, but her past, her relationships with her not so perfect family and other friends, but other people she happened to meet who don't have oh so bright pasts or present lives! It held my attention well and kept me asking what happens next...

The ending though, I was not a fan of. I figured it would have a good closing or something that left me wondering (which it did, but in a bad way). Basically it kind of shuts off after the end and cuts to clips of a woman writing on her daughters online journal (IRL main character??? Not sure if this was based on a true story... ) reaching out to her readers, saying that one day her daughter received a call that lasted so and so minutes, got into her car, drove away and never came back. Haven't seen her since. The movie kind of draws you in to this character with a messed up past and confusing life, and by the end you're wondering if she figures it all out. You get no answers about anything. She gets pregnant, no idea if she gets an abortion or keeps the baby, no idea who the father is, no idea what happens to anything. It made absolutely no sense - just kind of left you high and dry and you're like ... okay, what? It was not one of those good endings that left you wondering, although it DOES keep you wondering, it's just like in a way that leaves you feel cheated because there should have and could have been a better ending. It didn't really make sense to me.

Otherwise, it was a pretty decent movie overall and would probably watch it again after awhile, and suggest it to someone else!

Good movie destroyed by idiotic ending

[fiontar-84531 · 5/10 · 24 June 2015]

I'll spare you a full review. I just have to say that it was a pretty good film, right up until the last few minutes. The film jarringly switches gears completely, presenting itself as if the film and the negative ending were a true story. It's not.

So why pull such a cynical switch-er-roo?

Slut shaming? Slut scaring? Self sabotage on the part of the writer / director? An effort to side step away from the idea that an 18 year old girl can own her own sensuality? Maybe some combination of the above?

It not only ruins the film, but it really exploits the tragedy of real girls and women who go missing in order to provide a self indulgent "twist" ending.

Totally unnecessary when the actual film was rather good.

Underrated film!

[lindacav3 · 10/10 · 16 March 2015]

This movie seems light and easy on the surface...engaging and entertaining, but there is so much more depth to the movie and the characters than what appears at first blush.

The main character, a teenage girl seemingly lost, takes us on an introspective journey through our teenage years, our early adulthood, our complicated marriages and all the important and complicated relationships that influenced each of those stages of our lives.

The characters are intricate and smart and multi-layered. The book is even smarter! I rented the movie after reading the book and I loved them both so much that I may need to read the book again and re-rent the movie!

Highly recommend both!

Paradox - odd film, very well done technically, still very odd

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 29 December 2014]

Strange films make for strange reviews.

Robertson is actually in her mid-20s but in this adaptation she plays younger (ie, a teenager, clues are in the script if you listen) and that becomes a cheat of sorts.

The script based on book about how adolescent girls get "confused" by the digital age we live in, has a lot of plot arcs about cheating, so cheating is clearly a theme here, or at least a sub-theme.

The direction follows the vibe of Easy A, or Ferris Bueller, where the young person appears (initially) to be the smartest person in the film (possibly on the planet?) and the constant voice-over only adds to that impression.

I did not read the book. Those reviewers that did say that the lessons and morals from the book do not translate well onto the big screen.

I will concede the point to them.

Robertson, aside from playing younger, is also DDG (drop dead gorgeous) and seems to have gone to the Emma Roberts School of Acting. While she is not a physical match for Roberts, she mugs and struts and double-takes and pouts in the exact same rhythm, so the effect is (see the heading for the review) odd.

The other casting choices are also odd. Big names (Martin Sheen, Justin Long) drop by to play forgettable parts. Very odd.

The technicals are outstanding.

Completely waste of time!

[julianagp-arquitetura · 1/10 · 28 January 2017]

One of the worst movies I've ever seen. Total loss of time! The film itself is bad enough, showing the "difficulties" experienced by an inconsequential and promiscuous teenager, raised by her mother and stepfather, apparently "good people", but who have no idea of ​​the irresponsibility of the girl. The girl has the body and appearance of a child, but maintains a daring sexual behavior, which in my opinion is a kind of stimulus to pedophilia. And at the end of the movie, they spoil the plot once and for all, by adding scenes simulating "real facts," adding new characters, and a perspective that the girl would have invented most of the story and vanished after the supposed events. I felt like I lost 2 hours of my life with such nonsense. I'm just missing a little more writing this text to help someone who decides to research a little before watching.

Interesting Film

[ddem2000 · 7/10 · 21 February 2019]

At first this film felt like your standard teen dramedy, but as it progresses it starts to become much more. You learn Katie was molested as a child and it gives some insight into why she makes the relationship choices she makes. You later learn she becomes pregnant and she has no idea who the father may be, as the list of suspects includes Long, Slater, and her of age boyfriend. She confronts her former boss at a book store she worked at (Sheen) with news of her pregnancy, who offers to house her and raise the baby himself in an attempt to steer her away from getting an abortion.

At this point the film wraps with its ending, and also a dark turn. We suddenly divert from Katie's world to a woman named Carol speaking, who is the mother of Amy Grantham, who we know as Katie. Carol reveals her daughter took a phone call one night from a blocked number, got in her car, and was never seen or heard from again. She then pleads with the audience for any information which could help lead to her daughter's whereabouts. Also in Carol's monologue are details of Amy's real life which are different from Katie's, such as Long's character not being a college professor but rather a video store manager. In addition the Spooner family disputes any sexual relationship between Katie/Amy and Paul and Sheen's character denying ever offering to raise her child. A really weird ending.

Admittedly I was thrown off by this, and immediately had to go to google and read other reviews of this film to confirm that Amy Grantham is not in fact a real person and the entire movie was 100% fiction. I endorse anything that rattles me and makes me start incessantly searching the internet for answers which is why this is the first movie in a while I watched more than once. The reviews for this movie were mixed, with some calling the ending stupid and predictable, but from my end this was something I hadn't seen before, and anything that makes you feel a plethora of emotions is something I fully recommend. I gave this movie 7 out of 10 stars on imdb. Thanks for reading!

I think I know where she went

[shinteea · 7/10 · 10 August 2018]

This movie was fine, not amazing, but not a waste of time. I didn't really like the main character but that's just because of the many poor choices she made, plus I hate home wreckers and cheaters. But the storyline was great.

Okay so remember when she wrote that letter to the guy who molested her when she was little? I feel like she put her number at the bottom of the letter, so for some reason he could contact her -as she was a pretty confusing and brave character. I wouldn't be surprised since she went back to the sex offender book store guy, watched him close the blinds and lock the door and still didn't feel uncomfortable or scared. Anyway so I think he may have called her, and offered her money or place to stay in order for her not to tell anyone about what he did? I don't know, just a guess :)

A great solid performance and film

[Boristhemoggy · 7/10 · 22 December 2020]

I've not read the book but I know the story so well. Many actresses have performed the same story many times over the years, Britt Robertsons is most enjoyable partly because she has an intelligent and mature relationship with the camera and therefore us. She doesn't seek to hide or act, she seeks to be what she is supposed to portray and I think her for that, because I believe 100% what she is saying and acting on screen. She is authentic in that she is not scared at all of appearing in scenes with not so much as a lick of make up. She doesn't need it having natural good looks but she doesn't need it because she is also confident in herself. Just as she is in her acting. Perhaps it is her confidence that allows her to explore her inner self to inform and underpin her acting? She reminds me sometimes of Hayley Lu Richardson, another fantastic actor who gives an honest and authentic performance and more often than not in indie films rather than mainstream goop. I think it is only a matter of time before Robertson secures an oscar.

Not Ditzy!

[SwollenThumb · 7/10 · 22 March 2018]

This is not a ditzy teen movie. Robertson is great in the lead.

Where is the ending??

[sjanders-86430 · 5/10 · 26 March 2021]

A story has to have an ending. This film is 99 percent exposition. We get to know the character, Britt Robertson on every level. She is developing herself. She is learning and growing up and then we are left like her mother with nothing. She is not using her credit cards so what happened. The low ratings are justified. A great developing story has to have more than some folksy song to end it. The fault dear Brutus is in the writing. The acting by Robertson is tops. But give the story an ending!

Not what I expected

[AngelHonesty · 6/10 · 2 December 2020]

I wasn't to sure what to expect with this movie, but I wasn't expecting this. I thought it would be something light and fun. I figured it would be about a girl exploring her sexuality or trying to make some extra cash by being an escort. Instead I was faced with a very serious film about a coming of age story. The film is very relatable and realistic but also dreary as you watch the character go through the pains of life and deal with her issues. I would have somewhat enjoyed the movie, but the ending killed it. It made things even more confusing. It would have been okay if it was a true story, then the ending would have made sense, but no where is it stated that this is a true story.

Shitty Movie Adaptation of a Well-written Book

[jnemire · 3/10 · 9 January 2015]

I read "Undiscovered Gyrl," the novel on which this movie is based, less than a week after purchasing it in September 2014. It was one of those books I struggled to put down. I read it on the bus, at the table while eating breakfast, and once even while walking home from a friend's house, and I had to remember to look up when I was crossing the street. Yeah, it was that good.

Like any good product of the 90s, the first thing I did after finishing the book was Googling it to see if there were any plans to have it made into a movie. I saw that there were--and have checked compulsively every two months or so since then to see if it was available for streaming--again, like any good product of the 90s. And finally, today it was--and I didn't like it.

I've rambled on long enough so I'll just sum this up by saying that the movie was disjointed, sappy, and either glossed over or entirely left out several pivotal moments in the book. If I hadn't read the book previously, I would have been very confused by the flow of the movie.

I don't recommend it. The book is great though, you guys should give that a shot instead.

This is a sleeper that I would recommend to anyone

[davidusner · 9/10 · 31 May 2015]

I just watched this film and it surprised me. From the blurb about this film I expected it to be trite and just a piece of fluff that would entertain for an evening. How wrong I was or how wrong the summary was. This film was so much more than mindless entertainment and kept expanding every step of the way. The mixture of flashbacks and her imagined life were so touching against the backdrop of her struggle with her current life. This is a sleeper that I would recommend to anyone. The acting was superb and the character of Kate was adorable. The production qualities were very top notch. And the writing wove a very complicated story into a tapestry of challenges for the young Kate that had me identifying with her over and over. There were small moments where I wondered why a scene was there or if the story was driven forward by that scene but they were so fleeting that I gave this film a 9-star rating. When this film ended I was both disturbed and moved. That moment in our life when things start come into focus but only if we are ready to see them. If I had made this film I would be super proud of the result.

Being molested as a child stays with you forever.

[bettycjung · 15 January 2018]

1/15/18. A high school grad takes a year off before starting college to get her act together. But, she finds herself in unsatisfying relationships with several men, a couple much older than her. Along the way, the viewer discovers, through her revealing blog entries, that she was molested as a young child, which has tainted her present relationships. She then finds herself pregnant. Based on the book, Undiscovered Gryl whose author wrote the screenplay and directed the movie. Robertson was phenomenal. Worth catching.

ENDING SUCKS

[blpostwork · 7/10 · 13 October 2020]

I just read some of the other reviews and I guess this was based on a true story. I gave it a seven because the acting is great and the script is great. But the ending just ruined the whole movie for me. It's sad that this thing really happened I guess. It's definitely a movie worth watching but like I said for me the ending really soured the whole tone of the movie.

waste of time

[fhelipe-d · 1/10 · 26 January 2015]

i wish i could have the 1h30min back as this movie was a complete waste of time and a really badly written movie.... TERRIBLE.... WASTE OF TIME......awful is an understatement to this movie....the actors were really poorly chosen and apparently 18 year old now like to walk around the house with out any clothes on??? The film has a very bad story line which does not seem to flow in any direction at all and the characters are not very well structured. The way the people have been designed in this film is terrible as how the act and react to different situations does not at all relate to how people in the real world would react some times extreme and other t9imes not enough of a reaction is given to the particular even that has happened.... In general i think this movie is better in the rubbish bin and would have been an improvement if it was never even made.