The To Do List (2013)
Average Rating: 5.7/10
Reviews Counted: 99
Fresh: 51 | Rotten: 48
The To Do List may play things disappointingly safe given its rather daring premise, but writer-director Maggie Carey's sure hand -- and Aubrey Plaza's performance -- keep the laughs coming.
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 16 | Rotten: 13
The To Do List may play things disappointingly safe given its rather daring premise, but writer-director Maggie Carey's sure hand -- and Aubrey Plaza's performance -- keep the laughs coming.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 14,284
Movie Info
Featuring an all-star comedy cast including Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader,Alia Shawkat, Sarah Steele, Rachel Bilson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, DonaldGlover, Scott Porter, Andy Samberg, Connie Britton and Clark Gregg, "The To Do List" is a comedy about close friends and a special summer project, loosely inspired by the real-life adventures of first-time writer/director Maggie Carey. Set in 1993, valedictorian Brandy Klark wants to shed her uptight image before college, so she assembles
Cast
-
Aubrey Plaza
Brandy Klark -
Johnny Simmons
Cameron -
Bill Hader
Willy -
Alia Shawkat
Fiona -
Sarah Steele
Wendy -
Rachel Bilson
Amber -
Christopher Mintz-Pl...
Duffy -
Donald Glover
Derrick -
Scott Porter
Rusty Waters -
Andy Samberg
Van -
Connie Britton
Mrs. Klark -
Clark Gregg
Judge Klark -
Adam Pally
Chip -
D.C. Pierson
Hillcrest Lifeguard ... -
Dominic Dierkes
Hillcrest Lifeguard ... -
Bryce Clyde Jenkins
Benji -
Nolan Gould
Max -
Skyler Vallo
Hot Girl at Party -
D'Arcy Carden
Movie Patron -
Crystal Harris
Female Stripper -
Brian Huskey
High School Principa... -
Lauren Lapkus
Girl Heckler -
Jack McBrayer
Hillcrest Pool Manag... -
Betsy Sodaro
Graduate #2 -
Kevin M. Brennan
Van's Band - Guitar ... -
Zachary Ross
Van's Band - Drummer -
Scott Davidson
Van's Band - Bass -
Elaine Ballace
Bartender -
Liz Cackowski
Aerobics Instructor -
Michael G. Delaney
Voice of Cameron's D...
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The To Do List Trailer & Photos
All Critics (99) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (48)
It's good-natured and raucous, with many scenes that are just sketched but a few that are truly funny.
Top CriticMany of The To Do List's jokes have this first-draft, is-that-all-there-is? quality.
"The To Do List" doesn't reinvent the wheel; we all know the "summer that changed everything" trope. But it's startling when you realize how rare it is to see a girl chasing sexual experience so doggedly - and with such a lighthearted tone.
Don't go to The To Do List expecting a comedy genre-buster along the lines of Bridesmaids. Rather it's more of a one-joke repeater set in the hot Boise, Idaho, summer of 1993.
Even when the film connects, I can't help feel that it's mostly because it's set the target too low.
"The To Do List" is a romantic comedy with no romance and little comedy, but with an ugliness of spirit that's surprising and unrelenting.
Writer/director Maggie Carey's clodhopping coming-of-age yarn merely proves that terrible teen movies are now a source of equal-ops embarrassment for both genders.
Uneven and with a pretty even hit:miss gag ratio, there is still not-for-Nan fun to be had here.
Maggie Carey's feature film debut is full of lazy shots, duff lines and dodgy acting. But it also contains fresh ideas and hilarious gags.
It has heart and intelligence to offset its more raucous moments and looks destined for cult appeal.
A cast of familiar and frequently funny TV notables makes The To Do List a sweet prospect, but this tepid, oddly pitched teen comedy is unlikely to get anyone off.
I didn't believe any of it.
A few laughs.
The great Audrey Plaza is let down by weak material in this mirthless female-centric gross-out comedy.
Enjoyable teen sex comedy that gains points for its female perspective and features both strong comic performances and a decent script, despite some of the gags being a bit hit-and-miss.
The To Do List is an American teenage sex comedy set in 1993, which may have been the last year in which any of the cast members could have convincingly passed for a teenager.
Even as this comedy strains to be goofy and transgressive, it catches us by surprise simply because it dares to explore first-time sexual experiences through female eyes.
Carey drops the ball with a script that's both meandering and mean-spirited, not to mention laughter deficient.
A muddle.
The To Do List peters out to a lamentable degree in its padded-out final half hour.
Not since the schmaltzy Bucket List has there been a more blatant example of checklist comedy than the ultra-raunchy The To Do List.
Forgettable movie about a college-age girl trying to make up for lost time sexually may be just a 'to do' lister for that demo and no one else.
With many of the wittiest bits already spoiled in the red-band trailer, [writer-director Maggie Carey's] R-rated comedy is met more often with "heh" than "oh no she didn't!"
The film as a whole doesn't handle the transition as well between juvenile gross-out gags and more mature issues of self-discovery and gender politics.
It's refreshing to see a movie aspire to a little more than just raiding the cliche bin.
Audience Reviews for The To Do List
Super Reviewer
The movie is kinda funny, and Aubrey Plaza, while known for her awkward comedy, gets some nice slow-motion hottie entrances. I don't find the movie terribly memorable though - mainly just Rachel Bilson's hilarious bitchy older sister routine and all the great 90s references.
Super Reviewer
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- Brandy Klark: Teabagging. Must be British.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Looks awful. | 2 months ago | 16 |
| Who Is Surprised? | 2 months ago | 3 |
| Are the positive reviews due to it actually being good or because it was directed by a woman? | 2 months ago | 2 |
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Basically, this is kinda like The 40 Year-Old Virgin (in terms of broad goal and the vulgarity), mixed with the sweetness of a film from the John Hughes era. Also, being that it's written/directed by a woman, and focused on a female lead, I shouldn't be giving these details special attention, but alas, that's the sad state of mainstream films. This trend of having too many raunchy teen sex films focus primarily on guys needs to end.
I'll just go ahead and say that the film is formulaic and predictable, but what saves it are the performances. Yeah, it's hard to some of these people as recent high school grads (especially Aubrey Plaza in the lead), but she has enough heart, charm, and charisma to pull it off. The others manage to do decently as well. Connie Britton was a scream as Brandy's mom, and, though I like Clark Gregg, I think he was a bit flat as Brandy's uptight dad. I mean, it's a stock role, but even then he just seemed on autopilot. My favorites were probably Sarah Steele and especially Alia Shawkat as Brandy's best friends. Bill Hader is also a lot of fun as Brandy's burn out boss.
As I said, the film is a mix of raunch and heart, and, while there was nothing here that really shocked me per se, it was kinda neat to see the film be unafraid to get frank and edgy at times. It was a little repetitive seeing Brandy gets continually humiliated, but there was an arc with it, so that made it a little easier to bear. But still, they could have eased off some.
The soundtrack is great, the film makes great use of it's setting (1993 for the win!), and, despite being nothing new, offers up a great deal of laughs and fun, so yeah, I ended up having a decent time watching this. I'm admittedly torn between 3 and 3.5, so let's call it somewhere around a B.