When you're nostalgic for your college years (or you're living them now)
Cooper Raiff's S#!% House + other movies that will bring back those feelings of existential angst, rebellious fun, and self-discovery
Hello and Happy Weekend!
At the risk of sounding trite, September really flew by, didn’t it?!
First, it was summer, then suddenly I was hearing the Gilmore Girls’ “la la la” theme music every time I scrolled on my phone. My September consisted of taking care of some sweet dog pals, working on contract gigs and creative pursuits, enjoying the extended warm weather, and of course, keeping my film & TV obsession going with a healthy schedule of streaming.
Here’s a little taste of what I watched this month:
Nobody Wants This. An excellent rom-com series on Netflix. Turns out everybody does want this, especially if this means Adam Brody as a hot rabbi.
Michael Clayton. Performances like this are why Clooney became the movie star he is today. At first, I found this movie a little confusing, but that quickly changed and it became riveting. Stream it on Netflix.
Dancing with the Stars. I like a little sparkly entertainment now and again. My thoughts so far: Tori Spelling was robbed, and Anna Delvey’s parting comment was hilariously honest and iconic. Stream it on Disney+.
Suze. A charming and funny film.
Before I get to this week’s movie recommendation, I wanted to share a short-ish update with you about this Substack and what to expect moving forward.
Here’s the short and the long of it:
You’ll still receive my weekly film & TV recommendations, although I’m going to try my very best to get them to you on Fridays more consistently.
Recommendations will continue to fit with a mood or emotion (more on this below).
Rather than share 3 recs per post with detailed thoughts on each, I’m going to focus on one film or TV series per post/email.
Recommendation posts will now also feature a little bit of storytelling/personal sharing from me, as well as other recs like books, snacks, drinks, and music to pair with the featured film or TV series.
I’ll continue to occasionally share in-depth reviews, spotlights on actors/writers/directors, interviews with industry folk, and fun posts like “Films to go with your Spotify daylist”.
My goal here is to create a vibe, an aesthetic, a mood that I hope will help you get to your desired emotional state. Maybe it’s not that serious for you, and you just want some movie & TV recs — and if that’s the case, that’s perfectly fine too! But, if you’re anything like me, movies & TV are more than just entertainment to you.
All of my life, I’ve had more emotions than I knew how to deal with, and one of the ways I learned to feel my feelings and understand them was by watching movies and TV. I felt seen when I watched Claire Danes as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life (1994-95), as she crushed too hard on Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) and was entirely too hard on herself, while also being a caring friend to Rickie and Rayanne (Wilson Cruz, AJ Langer).
I got goosebumps when Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) heard the voice say, “Go the distance” in Field of Dreams (1989), and he finally believed what idealistic dreamer Ray (Kevin Costner) had been telling him.
I learned about the AIDS crisis and deeply felt the true meaning of empathy when I watched Tom Hanks’ performance as Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia (1993).
There are many more of these moments to share, and I will.
So, when I say “watch this: feel that” — it’s because I truly hope you get to feel all the feelings you need to feel, process, and understand when you watch the films & TV series I recommend.
P.S. — I’d love to hear from you! If you like a particular post, go ahead and tap the little heart, post a comment, send me a message, or share your answers to questions I’ve posted in the chat:
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COLLEGE VIBES:
I was a university student in the late 90s/early 2000s when computers were big and bulky, jeans were either tapered or boot-cut, and eyebrows were skinny. While I was busy broadening my horizons by studying English Lit, Cinema, and an assortment of humanities courses, I was also busy obsessing over man-boy crushes, partying with friends, writing pop-culture pieces for the school newspaper, organizing the open mic night, lifeguarding part-time, and worrying deeply about what the hell I was going to do when I graduated.
If you’re familiar with the hit ‘90s TV show Felicity, I was kind of like the title character — a sensitive, overthinking, naïve young woman who moved to the big city for university. There were differences, too, of course — I was in Toronto, not New York, my hair wasn’t quite as iconic as Keri Russell’s, and I had far less success in the dating department.
My rosy memories of those university days live in a cozy corner of my brain. They are clothed in corduroy Levi’s and vintage t-shirts with ironic sayings on them. They dance to R&B club hits, sing along to Lilith Fair chanteuses, and dine on cheap eats and study snacks. In this nostalgic area of my mind, there exists laughter, failure, embarrassment, community, self-discovery, and in my case, a lot of books, films, and poems, and the lengthy essays I wrote to analyze them.
Regardless of the decade — or whether you went to university/college or not — I’d guess that your memories of that time also feature highlight reels about work, learning of some sort, friendships, and relationships — with some existential angst and rebellious fun spliced in.
What do you remember from when you were a college student (or college-aged)? Who were you hanging out with? What were you listening to, eating, wearing, watching, and feeling?
I’d love to hear all about it:
THIS WEEK I RECOMMEND:
S#!% House (2020). Writer/Director: Cooper Raiff
During the pandemic, I watched a movie called Cha Cha Real Smooth. It was about a sensitive, directionless 22-year-old college grad who, after stumbling into a job as a party hype man at bar and bat mitzvahs, connects with a 30-something mom and her autistic daughter. I instantly loved this movie. It was sweet, charming, funny, and unique, and for a work of fiction, it came across as quite real.
As I watched the credits roll, I did my usual internet deep dive to discover more about the film’s writer, director, and star: Cooper Raiff, and I discovered that he had made another film called S#!% House. At the time, I saved it to my watchlist and returned to my daily life.
Just this year, I finally watched S#!% House (via a free trial of IFC films on Amazon Prime). Despite what you may think based on its name, S#!% House is a meaningful, emotional film about the fears, joys, and anxieties that come with the post-high school experience.
The movie follows Alex (Raiff), a college freshman who navigates college and the loneliness and self-consciousness it brings. Through Raiff’s performance, I deeply felt his anxiety as he left home for this new life chapter. I related to him as he fumbled through romantic and sexual experiences, struggled to connect with roommates, and missed home.
S#!% House is a highly relatable film that has an authentic feeling and aesthetic that takes me back to films from the ‘90s like Reality Bites, Dazed and Confused, and the aforementioned TV series, Felicity.
In Cha Cha Real Smooth and S#!% House, Raiff’s performances are raw, emotional, and twinged with anxiety and self-doubt, but his stories are ultimately hopeful, and his writing is funny. He captures the feeling of being at this post-high school stage so well. It’s a time when you have this critical mass of people around you who are largely going through the same things as you — and despite your differences, deep down you experience many of the same feelings.
Amid the embarrassing moments, the breakups, the hookups, and the academic trial and error, we are all simply trying to fit in, find ourselves, and clumsily leap from youth to adulthood. I enjoyed returning to this time by watching S#!% House.
You can stream S#!% House on IFC, AMC, or MUBI, or rent it from the Apple store.
I ALSO RECOMMEND:
The year I started university, the film Good Will Hunting was released. I remember how exciting it was because a lot of it was filmed at my university. Not to mention the whole Matt and Ben of it all — although my crush was on Casey.
It’s an excellent film about friendship, potential, compassion, and living in that space between youth and adulthood where you have no idea what your future holds. So, if you’re the one person who hasn’t seen it, or you weren’t born yet when it came out — do yourself the favour and watch it.
Even more movies and TV series about the college experience that I recommend:
Wonder Boys (2000) — this movie is more about the faculty than the students, but the cast and the writing are top-notch, and it’s darkly funny and a bit weird, which I like. I haven’t re-watched this since, so I’ll get on that and see if it still holds up.
The House Bunny (2008)— Both Anna Faris and this movie are severely underrated. This comedy will undoubtedly make you laugh and lift your spirits.
Love Story (1970) — This epic love story between two college students wasn’t critically acclaimed by all, but it was successful at the box office and loved by many. It’s from my Mom’s era, so this one’s for you, Mom — although, you’ve already seen it. I haven’t, though, so I’ll add it to my watchlist.
Felicity (1998 - 2002) — If you’ve ever wanted to know what it felt like to be an emotional, people-pleasing artist who can’t decide between two guys named Ben, you must watch Felicity. All joking aside, it’s a funny, touching show with great writing and a fantastic ensemble cast of actors. Watch it and report back to me re: which Ben you prefer.
Frances Ha (2012) — if you have a creative bone in your body and you’ve ever felt lost in your ‘20s, this one’s for you.
PAIRINGS:
To further give you that nostalgic college student feeling, I’ve curated some other ‘90s/2000s-inspired recommendations from my college era for you to enjoy:
Read:
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Listen:
Criminal by Fiona Apple
Bring Me To Life by Evanescence
Winter by Tori Amos
Eat:
Nachos, nachos, and more nachos
Chicken wings
Pizza Pockets
Subway and Pita Pit
Kraft Dinner
Pad Thai
Hangover pancakes at late-night diners
Drink:
Iced tea
Vodka crans
Alexander Keith’s beer
Smirnoff Ice
Mike’s Hard Lemonade
Wildberry Coolers
Broken-down golf cart shots
What would you pair with a college-era movie? Tell me:
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy the movie(s),
~Heather
Omg, this takes me back! I’m still not ready to drink Smirnoff Ice again though!
Fiona Apple + Good Will Hunting + vodka crans = a good cry with the roommates!