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Raising Genius (2004) More at IMDb Pro »

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7 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Strange satire that fails to be funny or entertaining., 21 September 2006

Author: Scott Tenorman from United States

This is a satire that is usually more strange than entertaining. The idea had potential, and the actors have talent, but sadly it fails to deliver. The main character, Hal, is a kid with OCD who is afraid to leave the bathroom. Hal is played by Justin Long, who seems to be doing a bad impression of Milton Waddams from Office Space (one of my favorite movies). Unfortunately Hal is not half as funny Milton. Hal's father is played by Stephen Root, who played Milton in Office Space. Stephen takes his role seriously, and gives a good performance, but he's not funny - he's serious. Wendie Malick also plays her role well, but again in a serious way. The only funny character in this movie is the eccentric grandmother. The theme is there - people with misplaced values taking life too seriously and making themselves miserable. But it's just not entertaining.. It's weird. Basically the movie has an identity crisis. Sometimes it tries to be funny, and sometimes it tries to be serious, but overall it fails at both.

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Wretched waste!, 18 August 2007

Author: hemisphere65 from United States

Unless you are a hardcore Justin Long fan, do not bother watching this overwrought, pretentious garbage. Ooooh! Look at me! I'm a "black" comedy! Hold on a second...shouldn't any type of comedy be at least somewhat amusing? Yes, the situations were comedic, but that doesn't cut it by itself. The characters' eccentricities cried out "Plot contrivance!" Everyone seemed extremely one-dimensional, which does not play well in a movie striving to make a point (beat a dead horse) about modern life/society. Poorly written and acted(Did somebody owe Ron Howard some money? How else do you explain the presence of Clint?). Justin Long must have some inside info on some Hollywood bigwigs to continue getting acting gigs; in this particular film, he outdoes himself with a horrible performance. Do not bother!

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Perhaps today's version of Harold and Maude....., 23 April 2007

Author: edvincent708 from United States

A fun quirky ride down the entrails of humor. Perhaps today's version of Harold and Maude. I am not certain that there is a normal person in the film at all. The young man with hormones on fire for a cheerleader and another portion of his brain juggling equations to find balance - is perhaps more common as a metaphor in today's world of indulged youth and pampered realities.

It is a fun gallop with a myriad of notable actors and actresses. This is a slice of today's world seen through the eye of a gifted director Bess Wiley. Ms. Wiley has worked the camera with some of today's best directors and she directs this soon to be cult classic with inventive camera angles and a flair for art and drama.

If you enjoyed Harold and Maude, you will love this film. I even like this film better than the 1971 film directed by Hal Ashby.

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Clever and amusing, well cast, good acting., 11 June 2006

Author: kathypaints from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Not sure if there's really a spoiler in this, but just in case ---

This film was clever, subtle and amusing. Wendie Malick ("Dream On" and "Just Shoot Me") was the perfect overachieving 50's style mother, with the always-pressed linen apron and the flower-studded headband. Stephen Root ("Office Space" and that dodgeball film with Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller) gave the father and husband a winning weirdness, especially when he polished his wife's toenails. Justin Long showed his brilliance as the smart and devious son, staying in the bathroom to be able to write his mathematical formulas on the walls, and to avoid giving the high school valedictorian speech that his mother was writing. Makes you wish your dysfunctional family had been more like this one; a genuine and funny film with a lot of charm.

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6 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Kooky and Fun, 19 March 2004

Author: pinkflamingopen from California

Just saw this film at a festival--

Really, really kooky and wonderful!! What a great cast, too. Everyone was funny. Wendie Malick did her usual thing, which is always funny.

Ed Begley Jr. and Marc DeCarlo were great in supporting roles, as was the trampoline jumping cheerleader (Danica McKellar).

Stephen Root seemed to reprise his "Office Space" role, but hey, it was funny. And Justin Long sort of did an impersonation of Stephen Root in "Office Space." But it was actually REALLY funny.

This movie just keeps taking left turns into kookiness that somehow, someway, TOTALLY works. I give it a thumbs up.

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Teenager hesitant about moving on in life locks himself in bathroom to avoid life/his mother, who loses control of her son, but takes control of her life, 3 August 2007

Author: D G from Canada

I think some previous user comments have missed the point. This movie is not so much about the son, Hal, as it is about the mother, Nancy.

This movie kind of reminds me of the TV program "Malcom in the Middle" except this is a family with an only child(adolescent). The characters are over-the-top caricatures, each with a few quirks we can relate to. Hal wants to hide from the expectations put on him finishing high school, and his mother doesn't know how to control her son anymore, or take control of her own life. And the father doesn't even know what's going on. Other comical roles by the typical psychologist, grandma, aunt, friends & neighbours. It's not a great movie, but well-enough crafted, with a fresh look, and the actors are entertaining (it's fun to see Justin Long, the Mac guy, in the role of Hal). I certainly had a few good laughs (being a middle-aged mother myself.... maybe it's a "chick flick").

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1 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Odd, but worth seeing., 27 January 2007
Author: EskimoEmma from United States

I agree with the first comment in that the movie needs to make up its mind as to whether it's serious or comedic. However, overall, I did enjoy it. I found certain parts so eccentric that it was WILDLY funny, though in a horribly twisted manner. I laughed until my sides hurt at the bathroom scene when his mother picked the lock...but I won't say anymore about it. The only problem I had was that the sex scene did not seem to fit in well with the rest of the movie. I think it should have focused more on Hal's reactions than the actual sex. However, the rest of the film certainly makes up for it. Just keep in mind that the movie was rated R for a reason.

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2 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Just a MESS!, 14 January 2007

Author: jimeri2006 from United States

This film had so many basic movie 101 flaws; it was just a mess. The premise of the genius teenage son who locks himself into the bathroom, (surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors who are by no means helpful) seems to be a good enough start. And certainly with the talented cast involved, I thought for sure this movie couldn't go wrong. However, with a very inconsistent narrative style (voice overs from multiple characters that drop in randomly, serving no purpose other than to cover story gaps), the ever switching p.o.v. (who's story was this? Mom's? Son's?) and the confounding love-like-hate relationship with Mom and Son (are we suppose to sympathize with them, hate them, laugh at them, love them, like them?), this movie elicited nothing from me other than confusion, and the question, "What was I supposed to get from this?"

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