Selective memory is an unrecognised condition that affects women across Australia. It’s a wonder how such a wide-spread disease has gone unnoticed by the Australian Medical Association!
You can easily recognise the affected. They are between 25 and 40, female, and display unashamed enthusiasm for memories of High School – something they refer to as, “the best years of my life.”
For some unknown reason, the afflicted look back on their teens with fondness instead of remembering the living hell that was Year 7 onwards. These poor victims forget the brutal bitchiness, nightmarish exams, and unrequited romance that tormented their teens and can only remember fun-filled sleepovers, blue light discos and behind the canteen snogs.
Script writers, as the social commentator’s of popular culture, are obviously more attune with the epidemic gripping helpless women, hence films such as Freaky Friday, Like Father, Like Son and now, 17 Again – the latest anti-aging blockbuster to hit the screens.
Matthew Perry stars as Mike O’Donnell, a separated-from-his-wife, dud father/sales rep who can’t help but remember how good life was at seventeen. Back then, he was the star athlete of the basketball team and headed for a college sports scholarship.
When Mike saves the life of a mysterious janitor, he is turned into his 17-year-old self. Even more mysterious is the gorgeous, pimple-free face he miraculously exhibits! Anyway, ‘teen Mike’ re-registers for High School to live the life he never did…
What follows are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments where the middle-aged try to relate to teens – like when your uncle tries to rap Snoop Dogg at the Easter, family get-together. With that, throw in some typical heart lifting schmaltz about realising how good you actually have it back in reality land and, oh yes… you’ll need to deal with some majorly inappropriate thoughts about Zac Efron without his shirt! [But don't worry too much, Efron is actually a 21-year-old playing '17 Again'].
This film did bring back some fun High School memories but I love my vino, my good credit rating, mature men and a job well-paid enough to love living at thirty.
17 Again hits cinemas on April 9 [2009].
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
after watching 17 Again, i got to wondering, do they ever cast people who are actually high school age to play high school aged kids?
We all remember 90210. I think Luke Perry was 30 playing 16??