Romantic relationships don't come with a user's manual and sometimes - to paraphrase Grover from "Kicking and Screaming" - despite our most intense efforts, things happen anyway. Though I've never been one to detail movies scene-by-scene, I believe the scene with Jane and Grover's chance meeting at the townie bar is one to go down in independent movie history. It is both a captivating and a moving scene which represents a perfect blend of just the right amount of emotion and humor epitomizing a semiotic balance between the spoken and the unspoken, as the two basic parameters the scene revolves around.It's daytime and Grover happens upon Jane at the bar - probably expecting to find her there - and after a fair share of drinks they sit down at their table and the magic of the scene starts to unravel. They realize they are both hammered, share a couple of semantically flawless exchanges (as to be expected from creative writing majors) and some innocent yet flirtatious looks after which Jane realizes she is late for her therapist's appointment and gets up to put on her coat. Grover gets behind her and hesitates to help her put on her coat; he's only an inch away, but last minute decides against doing it. He sees her off to the exit, feeling compelled to start with his 'confession' which is that "despite (his) most intense efforts, things happen anyway", stating that he has decided against developing any emotional attachments with anyone in senior year, before graduation, but yet insisting that after the alcohol wears off and Jane and him go back to their daily routine, they both still "feel this way" and hoping they get to "keep this". One could only hope that what he is referring to is the magic of that particular moment, the unplanned intimacy and unmistakable complicity they have managed to conjure up together leading up to that moment. To this Jane responds with a more sobering answer, putting things into perspective by saying that the whole thing shouldn't be conceived in such dramatic terms and that they still "have some time" since "it's a long life". She takes Grover's suggestion one step further, hypothesizing about what would happen should they indeed start a love affair and asking him if he thinks the affair would last. Upon Grover's quick retort ("That's a nice attitude"), Jane pauses for a while and leaves. Artistically speaking, Baumbach plays with the notions of the spoken and the unspoken interchangeably which adds to the spontaneous and dynamic character of the scene. Being centered on two people who have found themselves in this amazingly auspicious moment in time, this scene flawlessly captures the 'will they, won't they' conundrum so many of us have found ourselves in. When Jane leaves the bar the viewer is left with the feeling that just about anything might happen between our two protagonists after their 'moment' is over; out there, 'in the reality of life', they may have a storybook love affair, or indeed, by some weird twist of faith, may even never see each other again. It is a definite maybe and the dramatic value of the scene is that it so unpretentiously suggests to the viewer that one should always cherish the beauty of the moment and the fullness of the feelings one experiences in that particular moment, in spite of the whirlwind of ill-fated events that may potentially ensue. By having crafted such a flawless cinematic moment, Baumbach inevitably turns the viewer into a cheerleader for Grover and Jane's budding romance, almost to the point of compulsion.

I don't know what it is about this film, and this genre is not by any means even my favourite type of movie (I usually incline much more toward Horror, Science Fiction, and FILM NOIR) BUT... There is just something very magical about this film that completely involves me at many levels. It is obviously very clever, but it does not have the overbearing cynicism of most films of this type. The CHARACTERS are extremely cynical to a fault, but the film isn't. As a matter of fact, the director playing off this fact creates a lot of great and amusing scenes.I sure don't know what Lizreed was smok'n when she wrote her review, but 'Totally disappointing'...??? Seriously...? And 7/10 found THAT useful...? Perhaps they were all smok'n together...Anyway, this is one of the few films where I laugh almost constantly; not in a 'NAKED GUN' kind of way, but just at the throwaway lines and little visuals at the peripherals and in the background. It's rare to find a movie of this type that is scathingly clever but isn't mean spirited, as many scathingly clever people can be. I was amazed at how the film quite genuinely evoked so many different emotions. I could feel the complete ennui and crushing boredom that this group of 'friends' felt. I could very much feel the many different facets of humour presented. I felt the joy at the most cynical and annoying character finding the person he found and the type of person she was. And lastly, without giving too much away, I felt the powerful emotions that the lead, Grover, was feeling at different points in the film.Eric Stoltz is a VASTLY underrated actor; I really like the guy. And, it has been a while since I have seen it, but I remember that I REALLY like Noah's other film starring Eric Stoltz called 'MR. JEALOUSY'. I hadn't realized until looking up the director of this film just now that he also directed that one. I am not at all surprised since it has a similar quality as this one, but if I remember correctly, it is a little lighter in tone.And, the way that the director structured the story with the flashbacks throughout and at the end REALLY pack quite a punch and make the primary point of the film very well.It's funny, I do NOT give out '10's very often and ESPECIALLY not at all for these types of films. Normally I reserve those for Classics like '2001', 'THE SHINING', 'BLADE RUNNER' or 'ISHTAR' (heh, just kidding... :) But, there is just some special quality to this film that works perfectly and to me anyway completely engages you at every level in a very powerful way, but without being a total downer. It could be that this movie just resonates with me in a way that it may not with others. I come across many films here where some say it is their absolute favourite film and it does nothing for me. I think this one could be highly subjective since it deals mostly with this group of college people.

OK, granted, I thought it a well done film. I'm not going to dispute any of that. I'm sure there are a million reasons why. I especially liked the way the flashbacks were done. . .HOWEVER being a college student about to graduate, being as I am--sick of pseudo-intellectual BS and academia in f-ing general--I found it incredibly depressing. Towards the end it got better for me, when I was yelling "just go to Prague you moron!" Seriously though, interesting, yes. But I wouldn't say judge your friends based upon whether or not they like this film. Certainly it's good--but I'd say I'm glad I now own this movie, yet I doubt I'll ever want to watch it again. Perhaps it hit too home for me. Perhaps I just hate all the brown suits. Perhaps I just can't stand they way they all talk the same! Yeah, I know, this is supposed to be the critique or humor or whatever. . . STILL, just made me groan and groan and groan. . .

(I don't think I said anything that's considered a spoiler, but that warning scared me) I graduated from college and watched this movie just a couple of years after it came out, and I absolutely loved it then. In the 10 years since then, I re-watch it every now and then and its still my favorite movie.I can't think of another movie that captured in such a witty and creative way, the way people really converse and really feel about their lives and the decisions they make and situations they find themselves in.My favorite quotes: Chet: "Know how to make God laugh? ... Make a plan." Max (talking to himself): "Hi I'm Max" "Oh what do you do?" "Oh, I do nothing." Max: "This guy would rather be bow hunting. He'd ALREADY rather be bow hunting, and any additional aggravation..."