There is
no logical explanation as to why I enjoyed Tadpole,
I just did. If you’re looking for an intelligent in-depth
analysis of the movies intellectually challenging features, read
Rodger Ebert; I don’t make huge opinions based on theatrical
knowledge. This doesn’t have any extraordinarily wonderful
redeeming features, but its light-headed comedy brings some
short-lived chuckles to spice up the afternoon. If you don’t
walk into the theatre with too high of expectations, you’ll most
likely have a great time; but if your looking for another
big-budget sci-fi masterpiece, go and see Minority
Report again.
Tadpole’s premise has been used a million times, but the way
that they incorporated various intelligent sayings and study
into the dialogue is what makes it funny. As the story goes, a
fifteen year-old boy comes home from boarding school for
Thanksgiving to his father and step-mother in
New
York City.
The teenager has the intelligence of a forty-year old, but the
wit of a toddler. He has a very mature taste in literature,
which turns out to be true with women, too. As fate has it, he
becomes attracted to his step-mom, and mixes it up in bed with
her best friend. Though he doesn’t admit to his sexual
preferences for a while, and does everything he can to cover it
up, it’s impossible for the secret to not leak out when things
are getting a little suspicious. He ends up telling his father
and gets the much expected cold shoulder. And to relief some of
his guilt he decides to admittedly tell his best friend; who is
uncomfortable with the situation, but at the same time wildly
intrigued.
The movie
was shot in digital video for just under $150,000, which is
almost nothing, even for an independent film. The camera is
shaky, and the picture looks like it was shot by a couple of
kindergarteners with hand-camcorders. Though at first this is
very annoying, after the first fifteen minutes, you understand
that there is a reason for this, other than keeping the budget
low. The strange appearance of the video was intentional, to
move in parallel to how the fifteen year old feels. The
constantly motioned camera went along beautifully with his
emotionally stirred personality. Though this might be the exact
opposite of the filmmakers’ intentions, I’m a teenager myself,
in my eyes it’s an adequate hypothesis.
Tadpole is better seen on DVD than theatres, because of its
laidback feel, and short length of seventy-eight minutes, though
its material is pretty darn entertaining. Aaron Stanford,
Sigourney Weaver, and John Ritter offered surprisingly appealing
performances as well. There is one question lingering in my mind
about it, though. I wonder how the movie would’ve been affected
by a larger budget. The shaky, digital video seemed to work to
its advantage, and the characters personalities were able to
better stand out on the simplistic sets. It seems that, if
something like this weren’t an indie, there wouldn’t be as high
of a level of that magic that you feel when watching it.
Tadpole is one of, if not the best comedy of the
year, its wonderfully outlandish material is simply a treasure.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews