I'M REED FISH Movie Review


A coming-of-age story with some particularly sweet moments that follows on the heels of 2004’s eminently quirky 'Napoleon Dynamite.'

Whereas “Napoleon” was purely about the process of growing up, “Reed Fish” is all about relationships.

Particularly, making that one big relationship decision, the dreaded “M” word. Aka getting hitched.

Fish (Jay Baruchel) has inherited his father’s radio station and has followed in his footsteps as ombudsman, confidante and eternal open ear in the town of Mud Meadows. But he has been so busy keeping the town in tune with the crop reports that his own life is passing him by.

He finds himself on the threshold of a lifetime commitment and he needs a confidante of his own. But will anybody listen?

The naming of the town comes early in the film and casts a sarcastic hue on a story that turns out to be anything but. Shot in rural California, the scenery look amazingly like the Idaho setting of “Dynamite” and that is probably the intent.

The hook for the teenage fans is there. This is a town where everyone listens and the resulting exchange of personal values turns out to a real life Oprah Winfrey show.

Or perhaps Dr. Phil, if you count the volunteered advice from the populace.

Jay Baruchel’s performance in the lead will not set the world on fire like the irrepressible Jon Heder did as Dynamite, but he will light up hearts as he sorts out his feelings for all to see in front of the camera.

Fish is engaged to Kate (Alexis Bledel--'Sin City,' 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants') who, in the words of his pal and radio producer Frank (Victor Rasuk--'Raising Victor Vargas') is “the whole package.”

Kate is smart, sincere and her dad owns the local car dealership. The combination of the town’s only radio station and the only car dealership would seem to be a match made in country heaven, especially for two teenagers.

Most kids would do the deed and start buying Porsches. But Fish’s old flame, Jill (Schuyler Fisk--'Orange County') returns from her college experience in Austin Texas and proceeds to lay down a country come-on as sweet as Tupelo honey. When she spontaneously takes the stage at the local bar and turns out to have the voice of Emmylou Harris, Fish has to make some hard decisions fast.

In the resulting chaos the youngsters are in way over their heads and Fish ends up making decisions more far reaching and radical than he ever imagined.

Directing all this is first timer Zackary Adler who handles himself and others with taste and finesse.

The film is strictly chronological with no fancy storytelling tricks to get in the way.

The actors are very much themselves, except that they manage to seem even younger than their years. This should resonate with teenagers everywhere, but may be of limited interest outside that age bracket.

But even if only teenagers see the film it will have justified its existence over the sadly over-exploited horror genre that seems to be the only alternative for kids.

Excellent quirky and multi-dimensional supporting roles by an ensemble cast of young talent who also act about ten years younger than their actual ages.

There are only two significant adult roles in the film and they are placed well out of the action.

The message is that life belongs to the young and they have to figure out the twists and turns all by themselves. If lacking in edginess this film makes up for it in some of the clearest articulation to date of the decisions of a lifetime.

Maybe that’s the problem, the articulation is too clear. Sometimes it reads more like a self-help book than the unvarnished story of a teenager’s jagged learning curve.

2006 Tribeca FF MPAA rating PG 13

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