Thanks for the article I had actually forgotten about those scenes. At the time I thought they were very strange and not funny. However, I also thought the whole concept of the film was peculiar if not controversial. A 25 year old woman having a relationship with a 15 year old boy? The end of the film was terrible, he’d treated her so badly throughout the story but she still chases after him and ‘settles’ for what will likely be a bad relationship. My wife didn’t think it added anything to the cause of the independent woman.
It struck me that if it was about a 25 year old man having a relationship with a 15 year old girl it may have had a different reception.
I love your thoughts on this and your analysis of what all the men mean. I think it's also important to put that in the perspective of how Alana would see them in comparison to Gary. I wish that if there had to be a scene with Jerry it was just the one, when Alana meets him.
Also I hadn't thought about the Jerry character in relation to The Office before. The difference with The Office is that the show centers around the ignorant and sometimes racist buffoon from the start, and in Licorice Pizza there's no context or set up for Jerry. Another coming of age film might have used a narration and at that point told the audience the intent. But also, the American version of The Office quickly makes Michael into a lovable buffoon and he becomes more of one through the series. That has made some fans feel allowed to quote him, including the racist elements, which is not cool either.
Thanks for the article I had actually forgotten about those scenes. At the time I thought they were very strange and not funny. However, I also thought the whole concept of the film was peculiar if not controversial. A 25 year old woman having a relationship with a 15 year old boy? The end of the film was terrible, he’d treated her so badly throughout the story but she still chases after him and ‘settles’ for what will likely be a bad relationship. My wife didn’t think it added anything to the cause of the independent woman.
It struck me that if it was about a 25 year old man having a relationship with a 15 year old girl it may have had a different reception.
I love your thoughts on this and your analysis of what all the men mean. I think it's also important to put that in the perspective of how Alana would see them in comparison to Gary. I wish that if there had to be a scene with Jerry it was just the one, when Alana meets him.
Also I hadn't thought about the Jerry character in relation to The Office before. The difference with The Office is that the show centers around the ignorant and sometimes racist buffoon from the start, and in Licorice Pizza there's no context or set up for Jerry. Another coming of age film might have used a narration and at that point told the audience the intent. But also, the American version of The Office quickly makes Michael into a lovable buffoon and he becomes more of one through the series. That has made some fans feel allowed to quote him, including the racist elements, which is not cool either.