While films like Reality Bites made an overt mission of capturing Gen-X anxiety, Kicking And Screaming gets the job done much more quietly and effectively with a few aimless characters instead of grand statements: Reflective would-be writer Josh Hamilton pines for a girlfriend who's left for the "overrated" Prague; Carlos Jacott chooses video-store clerkdom over grad school in Milwaukee (citing adapting to a new time zone as a reason to stay); Jason Wiles simply re-enrolls to catch the classes he missed; Eigeman works crossword puzzles. Apart, they're adrift. Together, they have rapport, alcohol, and the pursuit of freshmen women.
It's something, but it's clearly not enough, and while Baumbach makes the lifestyle of his charming losers look appealing, he never quite makes it seductive. For every scene of dark-witted bonhomie, there's a telling moment of muted panic, as when Eigeman berates his reflection with the words, "You do nothing."
Lost in theaters but a cult hit on video, Kicking And Screaming has dimmed a bit with the passing of time. The ragtag structure never really allows it to build any momentum, and the gulf between its arch dialogue and earnest emotions becomes more evident with each viewing. But while the film doesn't always find a way to bridge that gulf, it at least keeps a rooting interest in not letting the characters fall into it. It's an unfailingly clever film about how cleverness will only get you so far.
Key features: New interviews with Baumbach and the cast, deleted scenes, a 2000 short.
