Behaving Badly
Film
Review by Kam Williams
Headline:
Selena Gomez and Star-Studded Cast Can’t Save Raunchy Teensploit
Rick
Stevens (Nat Wolff) is a socially-awkward virgin experiencing pangs of sexual
awakenings. That explains why he is trying to summon up the courage to make a
play for Nina Pennington (Selena Gomez), the cute, high school classmate he’s
had a crush on since the 6th grade.
Trouble is she
already has a boyfriend, Kevin Carpenter (Austin Stowell), a handsome hunk
who’s very jealous and possessive. Moreover, Rick is so distracted by his
dysfunctional family that it’s hard for him to even have time for dating.
He’s mercilessly
teased and abused by his deadbeat dad (Cary Elwes), and his alcoholic mother (Mary-Louise
Parker) is recovering in the hospital after recently trying to kill herself.
And to add insult to injury, she only left a suicide note addressed to Lucy,
her pet dog.
Rick’s siblings have their
issues, too. His sister, Kristen (Ashley Rickards), has secretly started working
as a stripper, and his closeted brother, Steven (Mitch Hewer), is gay and afraid
to come out.
Nevertheless, Rick is
determined to summon up the nerve to approach the girl of his dreams, and
finally jumps at the chance when their Latin teacher (Charles C. Stevenson,
Jr.) drops dead during class, ironically while conjugating “vivo,” the verb for
live. Nina accepts his offer to drive her to the funeral which, in his mind at
least, will be their first date.
So unfolds Behaving
Badly, a screwball comedy directed by Tim Garrick that’s far more raunchy than it
is funny. This tasteless teensploitation flick serves up generous helpings of
gratuitous nudity and profanity but precious little that elicits any laughter.
Director Garrick
throws everything at the screen but the kitchen sink in an almost desperate
attempt to shock, forgetting in the process to craft a plausible plotline that
might hold the attention of anyone with an I.Q. above room temperature. Before
Rick is allowed to win Nina’s heart, he acts out repeatedly, prematurely ejaculating
with a stripper and sleeping with his best’s friend’s (Lachlan Buchanan) mom
(Elisabeth Shue) en route to sharing an incestuous moment in a men’s room with
his own mother’s seductive alter ego.
He also gets mixed up
with Lithuanian mobsters and lands in jail along with most of his guests after
throwing a wild party in the house while his folks are away. The bottom-feeding
production squanders the services of a star-studded cast featuring
Oscar-nominees Elisabeth Shue (for Leaving Las Vegas) and Gary Busey (for The
Buddy Holly Story), pop icons Selena Gomez
and Justin Bieber, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, Heather Graham and
Patrick Warburton.
A misfiring misadventure not even
recommended for diehard Selena Gomez fans.
Fair (1 star)
Rated R
for crude sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive profanity
Running time: 96
minutes
Distributor: Vertical
Entertainment
To see a trailer for
Behaving Badly, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CMZYm3y54g
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