EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! Review

It’s not easy to make something seem so effortless… so easygoing. Twenty-five years after his breakout hit SLACKER, Richard Linklater still proves he’s a master of the “hang-out” film. Even when you may not even like the characters – as might be the case with this outing – Linklater has a way of showing characters simply hanging out, shooting-the-shit, and being themselves, and yet presenting them in a way that is absolutely fascinating. And what makes it all the more remarkable is that with films like SLACKER, DAZED AND CONFUSED, THE BEFORE TRILOGY, and now EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, he hits it out of the park every time. He makes it look like a game of T-ball, when really it’s a lot harder to nail than that.

On the surface, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! is a film about a bunch of college jocks in 1980 drinking beer and trying to pick up girls the weekend before the semester and baseball season starts up. But within the banter and playful ribbing are hints of Linklater examining this group’s need for competition. Even off the field, these guys are making it a game to score with chicks or cutting a baseball in half in the backyard with an axe or playing a game of knuckles in the dining room right next to someone playing an early handheld videogame. It’s all a testosterone-fueled game.

With a large ensemble cast made up of almost entirely men in ringer tees, short shorts, and mustaches, it’s a little tricky to stand out in the lineup. However, one standout player is Wyatt Russell as Willoughby. He’s a burst of energy every time he’s on screen with his affable demeanor and quick remarks. Although she’s the only female lead, Zoey Duetch makes the most out of very little. Beverly’s the artistic and theatrical type but goes beyond the singing in the street, jazz-hands stereotype. That being said, her introduction shows that she’s not afraid to fire back at unwanted advances from the boys. Having been immersed in the theater and art world, I can attest that she feels more authentic then the script gives her credit for. I only wish that her scenes opposite our leading man Jake (Blake Jenner) didn’t feel so shoehorned in at times. As a result, the film only kinda looks like a boy’s club.

Even with the strong air of puffed chests and machismo, EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! isn’t endorsing the troubling excuse that “boys will be boys.” In fact, Linklater is more keen to emasculate their inflated personas and confidence by showing them strike out with the ladies and even play dress-up – revealing that they are actually less like macho men and more like a group of lost and unsure boys. You see the gang go to a country line-dancing club, a punk show, and even a costume party with the theater kids, all of which they dress in specific outfits and act the part to fit a certain mold. Nevertheless, the homoeroticism undertone never comes to a complete boil.

In the end, much like so many of his best films, Linklater shows that a person is more than a stereotype. With DAZED AND CONFUSED, a stoner is more than the funny things he says when he’s high. With BERNIE, a killer can have a mild mannered heart of gold. With BOYHOOD, a young boy can be more aware of his surroundings than his age would imply. With EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, the jocks are more than just meatheads. Sure, they might not know what’s going on in those heads, but maybe after a few more rounds of beer they might figure it out. And even if they don’t, it’ll be a lot of fun to hang out with them as they try to win at life.

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! is now playing in limited theaters