Loser (2000)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Amy Heckerling

Writer (WGA):

Amy Heckerling (written by)

Release Date:

21 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Dare to be different

Plot:

A college student, branded a loser by his roommates and booted from the dorm, falls in love with a coed who has eyes for their professor.

Plot Keywords:

Love | College | Loser | Party | New York City

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jason Biggs	...	Paul Tannek
Mena Suvari	...	Dora Diamond
Zak Orth	...	Adam
Thomas Sadoski	...	Chris (as Tom Sadoski)
Jimmi Simpson	...	Noah
Greg Kinnear	...	Prof. Edward Alcott
Dan Aykroyd	...	Dad
Twink Caplan	...	Gena
Bobby Slayton	...	Sal
Robert Miano	...	Victor
Mollie Israel	...	Annie (as Mollee Israel)
Colleen Camp	...	Homeless Woman
Andy Dick	...	Another City Worker
Steven Wright	...	Panty Hose Customer
Brian Backer	...	Doctor

Also Known As:

The Loser (USA) (alternative title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content, crude sexual material and language.

Runtime:

98 min | Finland:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37232) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Germany:6 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Branti Film Productions

Trivia:

The scene featuring David Spade was filmed in Toronto's first specialty video store Revue Video. Since the store specializes in films (Foreign Language and Classics) other than the ones feature in the scene, the whole look of the store had to be changed.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Misspelled "Financial Aid" in summation before credits. (While this may have appeared in the original release, it has been corrected for the television version.)

Quotes:

Professor Edward Alcott: Oh, they're all my little honor students. Of course between them, they couldn't get through a copy of Rolling Stone.

Movie Connections:

References Fargo (1996)

Soundtrack:

Sonata in C Major, K.545 (Andante)

Charming Comedy is No 'Loser'!

Amy Heckerling's latest teen comedy, 'Loser', is an old-fashioned charmer where nice guys finish first, sweet girls end up making the right choices, and pushy 'users' get their just desserts! Perhaps nobility is passe in films today, but 'Loser' makes a great case for working class heroes who succeed by 'doing the right thing'.

Paul Tannek (Jason Biggs) is a farm boy who wins a scholarship to a college in New York City. Bright, awkward, and shy, and possessing the worst haircut since Adam Sandler's in 'Little Nicky', he accepts his family's celebration of his success with embarrassment, and a fear of failure, but his father (Dan Aykroyd, who is wonderful in his brief scenes) offers simple advice: "Listen to people, look them in the eye. Be a friend, and you'll succeed."

Cut to New York City (which has never looked more beautiful), and Paul's worst fears are coming true. His dress is ridiculed, his roommates are 'too cool' jerks who take advantage of him while dissing him, and his instructors, particularly Professor Alcott (Greg Kinnear, at his smarmiest!) snub him imperiously. Paul is lonely and frustrated, which makes a simple act of kindness by fellow student Dora Diamond (Mena Suvari, in her best performance, to date) take on special significance to him. Diamond is a kindred spirit, although she has been manipulated into believing Professor Alcott loves her, and has become his clandestine lover.

As both of their lives take downward turns (he gets thrown out of his dorm, she loses her waitress job), they develop a platonic friendship (he is far too much a gentleman to attempt to break up a relationship!), and the film becomes a game of guessing when these two terrific people will realize they belong together!

'Loser' features a lot of very funny cameos, by Andy Dick, David Spade, Andrea Martin, Colleen Camp, many others, and, to Heckerling's credit, these 'guests' never detract from the positive message of the film.

This makes a great date movie (particularly if your date loves kittens!), and is a 'feel-good' flick you can enjoy again and again! I loved it, and I think you will, too!