CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 2/06/09

The Force Is Not Strong With This One

By peter clines

Fanboys

Screenplay by Ernest Cline and Adam F. Goldberg
Story by Ernest Cline and Dan Pulick

In 1998, lifelong buddies and Star Wars fans Hutch, Windows, and Linus (Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, and Chris Marquette) are eagerly counting down the days until Episode One. But when their estranged friend Eric (Sam Huntington) discovers Linus has terminal cancer and might not make the premiere, he decides they need to drive cross-country, break into the Skywalker Ranch compound, and make sure their dying friend gets to see the film. Ernest Cline's script circled the internet for years before it fell into a special development hell (or would that be Sarlacc pit?) at the Weinstein Company, so most folks who see this film will know the problem is not with the story, but with the storytellers. Even though the cancer plot was restored after angry online protests, it's still been downplayed to the point of non-existence. Watching Linus run and holler with his buddies, we'd never know there was anything wrong with him at all except for a few brief moments where we're told he's very sick. In fact, all the character beats in this story have been relegated to second place, including a third-act romantic revelation between Windows and his friend Zoe (Kristen Bell) that's minimized to a single shot. The strong lines and moments are still there, straining to be heard, but they've been glossed over in favor of emphasizing the geekiness of fandom, rather than the strength of friendship that was intended to be the driving force of this screenplay. Heck, you've got to wonder how competent any director is when he gets Ms. Bell into a skimpy Slave Leia outfit and then barely shows her on camera. While it's still a mildly amusing (if somewhat dated) Revenge of the Nerds clone, it's sad that you can still see the shadow of what could've been a funny and honestly touching story of friendship.

Fanboys
The Weinstein Company
Rated PG-13; 90 min.

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Peter Clines has had a lifelong love affair with the movies. He grew up in New England, where he studied English literature and education, and now lives and writes somewhere in Southern California. If anyone knows exactly where, he would appreciate a few hints.



Fanboys courtesy The Weinstein Company

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