Megann Horstead
Social Media Editor
Meg’s tip: If you’ve ever silently sobbed while watching something other than a chick flick and lived to tell the tale, “That Awkward Moment” is one film that’ll get audiences laughing so hard that tears will fall.
Starring Zac Efron of the High School Musical trilogy’s acclaim, “That Awkward Moment” is a comedic film set in New York and playing in theaters now as of January 31, 2014.
The title of the film not only pokes fun at the use of the widely used phrase to talk about those awkward moments we all have experienced before, but also summarizes a lot of how this film operates.
The film thrives off the triangular friendship between Jason (Efron), Mikey (Michael B. Jordan), and Daniel (Miles Teller). Through their relationships and awkward mishaps the audience is invited to live life vicariously.
Jason and his buddies face the idea of love from different vantage points and at different points in time. In an attempt to preserve their bromance, the trio makes a bet to remain single.
How far will three men go to thwart off the opposite sex? As you will see, it’s not easy. They’re a group of attractive men and that is arguably a truth that very few would dispute, for goodness sakes. Nonetheless, it gets downright awkward at times seeing them fumble in distress and even struggle to impress women.
Character-wise, it was hard to not pin Jason as most likely to lose the bet. Jason gave off the vibe that he was an arrogant yet disconnected fellow that tends to have his way with the ladies but then turns ice cold with the drop of one question, “So?”
In Jason’s mind, “So?” signifies that it is time for him to bounce like he did not even notice that a relationship was brewing. To women, “So?” represents a way of moving past the present and looking towards the future. It’s this display that was somewhat off putting for someone with a heartthrob status such as Efron, but something that audiences will soon love.
Overall, the film’s main characters were excellently cast. Efron worked with actors mainly of unknown status, but if you give this a film a try, you may see the power that the supporting cast has to become household names down the road.
Even so, it can be argued and sensed that a lot of molding and chemistry took place behind the scenes. They gelled together as one to put out a synchronized film.
The casting can be attributed for much more of the film’s success. For one thing, the romantic scenes were on point. The comedy was strikingly of the laugh-out-loud persuasion. The dramatic elements were honest and liable to trigger audiences to choke back their tears in silence.
In particular, Efron had big shoes to fill with this role. We have seen Efron take on somewhat less than stellar films but this was not one of them. The title of the film alone suggests that this film has some appeal to it.
Efron took long strides to distance himself from the rest of his comrades from the High School Musical set, but the hard work is paying off. If you were not a fan of Efron before, you will surely become one now. Efron trades in the singing and dancing routine in exchange for a chance to brush off his comedic chops with style and ease.
Thanks should go to director Tom Gormican for casting Efron as the lead for the film. “That Awkward Moment” is Gormican’s first major studio movie as a director. Previously, he had co-produced a film called “Movie 43(2013).” Some may not have heard of the film, but if you have, do not judge him too harshly based on that. He shows throughout this film that he can manage a production.
While under Gormican’s direction, awkward moments were turned popular in “That Awkward Moment.” It is this idea that speaks volumes for what the film strives to do in the comedy department and at the box office.
At the box office, “That Awkward Moment” packed more theaters than “The Nut Job” and “Lone Survivor.” Doing so, allowed the film to take the no. 3 slot during Super Bowl weekend. Though audiences were heavily skewed with females then, this film’s universality could easily leave the film ranking high among the top five again.
The bottom line: Everyone has experienced a time they can denote as “That Awkward Moment,” let’s face it. Some won’t admit it and that may make this awkward, but just as this film advocates, the question remains, “So?”
“That Awkward Moment” is rated-R for sexual content and language.
