"Guys need all the help they can get"
Reminiscing of his high school years, a recently divorced Jack Twiller pops out his high school yearbook and has a flick through to remind himself of the good times. It all starts sometime in 1956, in a quaint American suburb..
New in town and already sick of shifting boxes, Jack (Chris Young) is impressed when introduced to local kid Crutch (Keith Coogan), who offers a quick neighbourhood tour. Fearing having his ass kicked for being the new face, Jack warily tags along, while Crutch gives him a not-so-honest lowdown on his impressive social status in the neighbourhood. It's a shame that they have to bump into the notorious Angelo Gabooch and his leather-clad gang while on their travels, as Twiller now has to learn - the hard way - who runs the joint.
Following their humiliating clash with the greasy haired gang - a clash which left them stripped of both their underwear and their dignity - new friends Jack and Crutch swing by Spider's (Danny Nucci) place before heading off to school. And it is at school where the rich, blonde and beautiful Lily first becomes the object of Jack's affection. Stop right there a minute! Not only is she rich, blonde and beautiful, but she is the girlfriend of bullyboy Angelo. Meaning Jack doesn't stand a chance in hell. Or does he? Might the dance classes his mom booked have any bearing on the situation? If Jack keeps falling down stairs from failed tap dance attempts, i'm sure Lily will begin to notice him. That isn't to say she won't run the other way, of course.
With his mom sick of her son "moping around the neighbourhood", Jack and Crutch are shipped off to Ranger Camp where they are greeted by Gabooch's gang, who are having great fun torturing other puny and defenseless kids - the present victim being subjected to some pretty nasty candle-in-the-butt treatment. No way prepared for their helping of torture from the ruthless lot, Jack and Crutch return home without haste after just a few hours at camp. Evading the clutches of Gabooch and his boys is only the first step for Twiller, who receives a lecture from his unimpressed mother once arriving home only one day after leaving. "But that one day was so perfect, nothing else coulda held a candle to it", he says.
If anyone wants to learn how to perform the perfect drunken sing-along, take a leaf from the book of Jack and the boys. With Crutch on piano (somebody hire this kid for parties!) and Floyd, Spider and Twiller boozed up to their eyeballs, they slaughter Earth Angel so memorably that it very nearly tops that Back to the Future dance scene. With more alcohol in their systems than a bar during happy hour, they unsuccessfully scour the phonebook for a super sized take-out order of cheap and easy chicks, before raising their glasses to "the gang that will never die". At this point we cut to the present-day Jack Twiller, who is fondly gazing at his yearbook as the thirty year old black and white photograph of him during his teen days entices him to relive yet another chapter of the story.
Back in 1956, Spider is fixing up his convertible, while a terribly uncool Crutch and Jack are practising their bad boy sneers, hoping to attract girls. And at that point, whoever should roll by but the true neighbourhood bad boy Angelo, with the gorgeous Lily by his side. What better occasion for Jack to demonstrate his mechanical skills! Lily is sure to be impressed with this little act. Isn't she? Twiller can't afford to relive another embarrassment in the shadow of his head first dance routine down a flight of stairs, but with no knowledge of the workings of a convertible, this is another exploit which is destined to fail miserably. But with luck on his side, Jack is later informed of Lily and Angelo's unexpected break-up and finds the girl of his dreams sitting alone in the playground after school. Anyone else could see straight through the set-up, but poor Jack and his raging hormones fails to realize that sweet little Lily's intentions lie only in using him as a pawn in her game of revenge for the short tempered Angelo.
Twiller, determined to shake off his geeky image, throws his savings into what he believes to be a great investment: his very own set of wheels. Shame that the thing is located at the bottom of a lake! But it's gonna take more than a seventy buck car to impress the ladies, and after the guys go to the movies to see East of Eden, Twiller slicks his hair back and prepares for a complete personality transplant. James Dean he ain't!
Finally, the guys wind up at the Senior Prom, but not before wild house parties, raunchy encounters at the local fun fair, and further attempts at bagging the beautiful blonde. Thirty years later, how does it all end up?
VERDICT: ★★★★
Book of Love is a genius little movie, in the same vein as the 1985 flick Mischief, but with a slight Stand By Me twist. Co-chairman of New Line Cinema, Robert Shaye, makes a really fun screen adaptation out of the novel Jack in the Box by William Kotzwinkle, and mysteriously Book of Love is one of his only directorial efforts. How anyone could really dislike this one is absurd! And how anyone could dislike Chris Young's comical, lovable portrayal of Jack Twiller is also crazy. Come on, the guy had his very own Corey Haim style video diary released the same year as this flick, so his fan base must have been a substantially large one. And in this movie (and of course the wonderful Dance 'Til Dawn), it is glaringly obvious why - he is fantastic! The rest of the cast can't be forgotten either: the dorky but secretly badass piano player Keith Coogan; Danny Nucci, the mechanically inclined, testosterone-brimming kid who'll rent the hole in his bathroom wall to those wanting to cop an eyeful of his hot sister in a state of undress; John Cameron Mitchell, the so-called "good influence", but the one who will gladly raid his house of any spare alcohol if the opportunity arises. Ironically, the character most lacking in personality is Josie Bissett as Lily, who is lusted after by an infatuated Jack from start to (well, not quite) finish. However, we are left with a satisfying and cute ending, and one that is thankfully not too foreseeable.
Classic '50s tunes, combined with pee-your-pants teen fun, topped off with an all-round impressive cast makes Book of Love one that you shouldn't miss. And it's a shame, because most have missed it. A little crude, a lot funny, and way cool - you'd be foolish to let this one slip through your movie-lovin' fingers (like the rest of the god damn planet!).
IMAGES/VIDEOS: [trailer]
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
SOUNDTRACK:
Other than the remix of the title song, the soundtrack is full blown trip down memory lane with some real classics.
1. Book of Love - Ben E. King & Bo Diddley feat. Doug Lazy
2. The Great Pretender - The Platters
3. Fools Fall in Love - Elvis Presley
4. Little Darlin' - The Diamonds
5. School Days - Chuck Berry
6. What Can I Do - Smokie
7. Rip It Up - Little Richard
8. Sincerely - The Moonglows
9. Come Back My Love - The Wrens
10. Why Do Fools Fall in Love - Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
11. Hearts of Stone - The Fontane Sisters
12. Let the Good Times Roll - Shirley & Lee
