Take Me Home Tonight

Directed by: Michael Dowse

Written by: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo (screenplay); Topher Grace, Gordon Kaywin (story)








There's a special place in the world for the "party movie."  It's not a type of movie you can watch with any regularity.  You have to be in the right place, at the right time, in the right frame of mind.  But when all the stars align and luck is on your side, then it's the perfect time to see a movie like "Take Me Home Tonight." (I may have mentioned all this before when I wrote about "Dazed and Confused."  Forgive me if I'm a bit repetitive.)

Summarizing the plot would really serve no purpose for a movie like this.  Suffice to say, Matt Franklin (Grace) has an opportunity to impress his long-time crush Tori (Palmer) at the year's biggest bash, and the usual party antics ensue.  There's a subplot about his little sister (Faris) trying to decide between going to college or marrying her boyfriend (Pratt).  Oh yeah, and it's the 1980's.

The movie has some very memorable debauchery spread evenly throughout the plot.  This keeps the film moving forward from beginning to end.  Too often, a film like this stalls after two-thirds of the movie because the characters have run out of silly things to do, but this one manages to keep things fresh and interesting.

Unfortunately, beyond that, the movie doesn't hold much weight.

The whole "Hey!  It's the 1980's!" premise comes and goes when required for a joke, but is not consistently meaningful.  Instead, it seems more like an idea that was thrown around occasionally but never quite stuck.

The actors basically phoned it in.  Any of them could have been replaced with just about anyone else and it probably wouldn't have changed anything.  There weren't any standout performances or defining moments for anyone.  (The exception to this would be Demetri Martin - who can never be replaced.)

In retrospect, my introductory paragraph may have given the film more credit than it really deserved or earned.  "Take Me Home Tonight" is sub-par, even for a party movie.  But, that's not the worst thing in the world when you're looking for a party movie.