A Day In The Life

Rating: 10/10 (5 September 2007)

Ever wonder where the cool slackers hang out and what they do on a daily basis. Well, here is the 1995 version of that. This comedy / drama is easily the best of it's kind. This ranks up there with "Dazed and Confused" and "Chasing Amy" as the best slacker movies of all time, even though all three are from the same decade. Maybe it's because the 90's was the decade of the slacker.
Once upon a time, before digital downloading dominated the music scene, cool kids hung out at record stores. In this film a talented cast plays a variety of these cool kids (and adults). Liv Tyler plays the pretty and popular brainiac who is headed to Harvard. Renee Zelweger is the sultry teenaged seductress. Johnny Whitworth is the artist who is afraid to do anything with his talent. The amazing Rory Cochrane is the 'James Dean' type who is sort of the mystical center of the movie. Robin Tunney gives a haunted performance of a troubled, suicidal teen. Rounding out the rest of the teen cast, there are also two boys who worship rock & roll as well as a wanna-be guitarist.
The adult cast is just as amazing as the younger actors, though outnumbered. Joe Mantegna plays 'Joe', the ex-musician and current record store manager who knows that he was meant for bigger and better things. Zoe Deschanel is the manager of a washed up pop star who is attempting a comeback. She shares Joe's views of her life. And Maxwell Caulfield is 'Rex Manning', the aforementioned pop star. He is perhaps the most underrated actor in the film. He plays "Sexy Rexy" with a cheesy self assurance that is masking the fact that Rex knows that his sex symbol days are well behind him.
The plot of the film is pretty thin. The owner of the record store plans to sell the store to a franchise that promises to rid the store and it's employees of any individuality. But that's okay, because the movie isn't really plot driven. It's a character study about the young and the young at heart hiding their true ambitions and selves behind false facades while they wile away their days hanging out at the record store.
Overall, this is a well written movie about characters that are well worth rooting for. It also boasts a great soundtrack of rock and alternative music that helps add to the fun atmosphere.