—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (abstract art)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
Sometimes our passions don’t correspond with reality. Sure, they may be the only thing we can think about. They may be the only thing we truly know about ourselves and the life we are meant to lead. But when our passions meet the world around us, the truth is that some are just not meant to be, meant to ever be, or at least not meant to be right now. Especially when it comes to the creative side of things…
Open Terry Zwigoff’s newest film, Art School Confidential , a glance into one of the most concentrated groups of “passionate” young people today. Each student is passionate about something, about an idea, a style, a story, a subject, or a medium. Their lives and their beings are wholly devoted to and wrapped around what they believe in. And although its title positions the story as almost exclusive, the story that the film portrays is one that reaches far beyond the walls of art school.
From the first scene to the last, each character in the story is blatantly built up as a stereotype. They are all barely able to vote and probably still a few years away from being able to legally consume the alcohol that already fuels their days and nights, but nonetheless, they know who they are and what they are about; period; they mean business; you’d better take them seriously.
Yeah, right. Stop, smile, and shake your head. Because that is all the movie allows you to do. Stare blankly at the child’s crayon drawing that is supposed to be a masterpiece. Raise your eyebrows the F grade student film that is to be nothing short of next year’s Oscar winner. Rub your forehead at the middle-aged art professor who paints nothing but triangles and can’t understand why no one likes his work. And, even if somewhat reluctantly, shake your head at the young man who wants to be the greatest artist of all time right now, wants the woman of many man’s dreams, as his first girlfriend, right now…and, of course, gets it all when he finds himself uniquely connected to a string of killings.
But don’t get too high and mighty, because, if we are truthful with ourselves, we have all been there.
Overall, Art School Confidential is quite ridiculous. It is not a story that is meant to be taken seriously. You know that none of the seasoned actors playing bit roles as professors are taking it seriously. But as it takes on an almost Scary Movie like attack on the art world and the life dreams that its characters take so seriously, its absurdity slips a more universal reality under its paint spattered story, the truth that this absurdity is far too often the way many of us think and live.
We all have dreams, concrete plans that are unchangeable, and people and ideas that are essential to who we are and how we live. Sometimes those plans, dreams, and partnerships are meant to be. But far too often, even though we can’t let them go, even though we can’t see any other options, they are simply not meant to happen.
Barely a few years older than the art school students, I know these feelings well. That desire to know what I am supposed to do and be who I am supposed to be right now. That sometimes feeling that maybe I know what I am supposed to be doing and better hold onto that even if it means abandoning everything else.
It does feel good to have a passion for something, but as Art School Confidential makes us realize, life has to be bigger than what we think we know and what we think we are supposed to do. It is about options beyond what we are able to see, situations beyond our comprehension, and plans too big for us to even begin to formulate ourselves. And even though we may never have the promise of only-in-the-movies serial-killing PR to make all of our deepest and most passionate dreams come true, I believe that the bigger world in which we live promises that there truly is something better out there for each and every one of us. Our only task—to be open to whatever that life may be.
—Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (abstract art)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads
Sometimes our passions don’t correspond with reality. Sure, they may be the only thing we can think about. They may be the only thing we truly know about ourselves and the life we are meant to lead. But when our passions meet the world around us, the truth is that some are just not meant to be, meant to ever be, or at least not meant to be right now. Especially when it comes to the creative side of things…Open Terry Zwigoff’s newest film, Art School Confidential , a glance into one of the most concentrated groups of “passionate” young people today. Each student is passionate about something, about an idea, a style, a story, a subject, or a medium. Their lives and their beings are wholly devoted to and wrapped around what they believe in. And although its title positions the story as almost exclusive, the story that the film portrays is one that reaches far beyond the walls of art school.
From the first scene to the last, each character in the story is blatantly built up as a stereotype. They are all barely able to vote and probably still a few years away from being able to legally consume the alcohol that already fuels their days and nights, but nonetheless, they know who they are and what they are about; period; they mean business; you’d better take them seriously.
Yeah, right. Stop, smile, and shake your head. Because that is all the movie allows you to do. Stare blankly at the child’s crayon drawing that is supposed to be a masterpiece. Raise your eyebrows the F grade student film that is to be nothing short of next year’s Oscar winner. Rub your forehead at the middle-aged art professor who paints nothing but triangles and can’t understand why no one likes his work. And, even if somewhat reluctantly, shake your head at the young man who wants to be the greatest artist of all time right now, wants the woman of many man’s dreams, as his first girlfriend, right now…and, of course, gets it all when he finds himself uniquely connected to a string of killings.
But don’t get too high and mighty, because, if we are truthful with ourselves, we have all been there.
Overall, Art School Confidential is quite ridiculous. It is not a story that is meant to be taken seriously. You know that none of the seasoned actors playing bit roles as professors are taking it seriously. But as it takes on an almost Scary Movie like attack on the art world and the life dreams that its characters take so seriously, its absurdity slips a more universal reality under its paint spattered story, the truth that this absurdity is far too often the way many of us think and live.
We all have dreams, concrete plans that are unchangeable, and people and ideas that are essential to who we are and how we live. Sometimes those plans, dreams, and partnerships are meant to be. But far too often, even though we can’t let them go, even though we can’t see any other options, they are simply not meant to happen.
Barely a few years older than the art school students, I know these feelings well. That desire to know what I am supposed to do and be who I am supposed to be right now. That sometimes feeling that maybe I know what I am supposed to be doing and better hold onto that even if it means abandoning everything else.
It does feel good to have a passion for something, but as Art School Confidential makes us realize, life has to be bigger than what we think we know and what we think we are supposed to do. It is about options beyond what we are able to see, situations beyond our comprehension, and plans too big for us to even begin to formulate ourselves. And even though we may never have the promise of only-in-the-movies serial-killing PR to make all of our deepest and most passionate dreams come true, I believe that the bigger world in which we live promises that there truly is something better out there for each and every one of us. Our only task—to be open to whatever that life may be.
—Overview
