The latest in our series of writers paying tribute to their go-to comfort films is a trip back to 1980 with Richard Linklater’s charming hangout comedy
If any film can make me feel like a teenager again, it’s Everybody Wants Some!!
I first saw it when it came out in 2016 (making basically no money at the box office, which is a shame), and I’ve watched it at least once a year since.
Serving as a spiritual sequel to Richard Linklater’s earlier film Dazed and Confused, it’s set in 1980 and follows Jake (Blake Jenner), a quiet and naive baseball player, in the few days before he starts college. He moves into campus housing with his new teammates, each of whom were the star prospects in their schools.
Jake’s teammates, played by actors like Wyatt Russell and Tyler Hoechlin, are all excellent in their roles and their chemistry shines through on screen. That’s probably because before filming started, the actors hung out with each other for three weeks on Linklater’s ranch. I respect the movie industry’s ongoing commitment to making Glen Powell happen, and that started here with a solid supporting role as one of Jake’s teammates, Finnegan. In interviews, Powell has named this film as his first big break.
