rocket science

So i saw Rocket Science today, and I have to say that I was absolutely won over by the script. (which btw I downloaded from the website) Glad to hear that the director is a usc-ca grad! Yay!
What I love most about the film was the script. I am probably the worst out of my friends when it comes to actually listening to and dissecting the script. It takes a lot for me to actually complement one, let alone love one. Maybe it's just the quirky-indie vibe that has been springing up ever since Napoleon Dynamite. I appreciate these films more than I do blockbusters or any films coming out of Hollywood or anywhere big for that matter. It seems as they have less pressure to be cliche and can be more creative.
The acting was pretty great, especially for Reece Thompson, although I was getting really annoyed with all the stuttering. But then again, it kind of coincided well with the prelim state debate in the final minutes of the film. Singing his speech to the tune of Battle Hymn of the Republic was damn hilarious. But my ears almost started bleeding when Nicholas D'Agosto sang AND played it on the BANJO. Props to him for trying, plus it was a bit hilarious. Aaron Yoo as Heston, the almost step-brother and friend of Hal Hefner(Thompson), freaked me out a bit. Seriously. I still don't get the part with the calendar of almost naked men he found near a tree stump. But he's hilarious as well, he just has his uber weird moments.
Another thing: dysfunctional family? Yes. Those of you who are reading this blog are probably wanting to ask me: "Rachel, what's with the dysfunctional family theme? Do you have a dysfunctional family as well? Or do you just like films with dysfucntional families? Do you have any unresolved issues?" The answer is: "It's just the way it turned out. I didn't go out looking for movies with the same recurring theme. And NO, I do not have issues that need resolving."
But seriously, this family is probably more sane because we all could relate to it more than the other families I have mentioned before. You've got the stuttering 15-year-old male lead being recruited to the high-school debate team, the short-tempered klepto older brother, a father that left at the beginning of the film, and a mother who picks fights with her partners. But they mesh together in the end. They might not end up being together, but there is love between the family members. Maybe not with the mother, she's a bit psychotic.
There is a long list of line from the film that must be quoted. I will leave you with a few.

"That's God doing your dry cleaning. God does dry cleaning. He wears a smock." --Hal Hefner

Hal: "I doubt if the, if the pedophile things could be, could be true. That seems, it seems, but then I don’t know too much about that to be honest. But, but, but, you know, I can’t believe anyone would think of you like that."
Ginny: "Like what?"
Hal: "Sex, sex. Sexually, I mean."
Ginny: "That’s the worst thing anyone’s ever said to me. Why would you say that?"

"Do you mean that this, is that, is this, is this the Big City, do you mean, Trenton?" --Hal Hefner

Hal: "No, I’ll tell you what it is."
Ben: "Yes? What it is, is.."
Hal: "I’ll tell you what it is, what it is. What it is, is, is love. Kind of a special love. Or if not that, then the need for revenge when love goes bad. One of those two. Love or revenge. One of them I think made me throw a cello through somebody’s window. So you figure it out."
Ben: "An actual cello?"
Hal: "I mean, yeah, symphony-sized as far as I know."

Lewinsky: "My ex-girlfriend, the Ph.D. at Annenberg, she used to say that her brother never stuttered if he spoke in an accent. You could try something subtle, the accent you know best, and maybe that would help. Anyway, I wouldn’t count on it. Mina’s advice was about as farfetched as she was. Open relationships just don’t work, Hal..."
Hal: "What?"
Lewinsky: " I’m advising that you try to do an accent. OK? That’s what I’m telling you to do."

Ginny: "Well, she came up to me after a presentation on egalitarianism and said that although my argumentative skills were at the fetal stage she sensed, somehow she intuited, my potential and invited me onto the team and, so, two years later, here I am doing the same with you. Recruiting. Ferreting out the debating talent from the masses. That’s you. I’ve ferreted you."

"Will you tell her that, that I’m done, done and over, with the masturbation defense. Tell her that, will you? Assure her I’m done with masturbation and ready to show her." --Hal Hefner

I really could go on, but I didn't want to overwhelm you all(maybe around 2 of you) with quotes. Hell, I might as well send you guys the whole script.

Until probably tomorrow. When my internship is done! That's right, I'M JUST ABOUT DONE.