As Cool As I Am (2013)
As Cool As I Am Videos
As Cool As I Am Photos
Movie Info
Watch it now
People Who Like this movie also like
Cast
as Lainee
as Gerald
as Chuck
as Guy
as Lucy
as Bob
as Ron
as Frances
as Himself
as Kenny
as Tim
Critic Reviews for As Cool As I Am
All Critics (7) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (1) | Rotten (6)
This coming-of-age drama might trade in familiar narrative developments, but its characterization is rather nuanced.
Simplistic plotting, pedestrian visuals and poorly-handled melodrama do lend the project a cheap, made-for-TV feel, which is underscored by the fact that Danes and Marsden don't seem obliged to turn in their best work.
Oh no: Claire Danes as the mom? Already? What's next, Chelsea Clinton for president?
It is as if chunks of the film had landed on the editing-room floor in a desperate, last-minute attempt to trim its length. Just when its parts should come together, "As Cool as I Am" crumbles to bits.
Mayer doesn't find a way to make the ritual traumas of adolescence feel new again.
The familiarity of the narrative - the movie does, after all, include such coming-of-age touchstones as first love and irresponsible parents - grows more and more problematic as time progresses...
Audience Reviews for As Cool As I Am
There's nothing particularly interesting about this teen drama. With so many plot holes and inconsistent sequences, I'm not sure this movie is one of Danes best.
A coming of age story about small town, American teenager Lucy (Sarah Bolger - In America) whose parents' unconventional marriage and fraying relationship takes its toll on the girl. Her mother Lainee (Claire Danes - 'Homefront') carries on a few relationships of her own teaching her daughter to be all kinds of responsible (!) as her husband Chuck (James Marsden - X-Men) works in Canada most of the year doesn't know how to talk to his family even when he is home. Lucy has a reliable best friend in Kenny (Thomas Mann - It's Kind of a Funny Story) but when they start testing the acceptable boundaries of friendship her one constant in her life begins shifting and her whole life falls out of focus. The film has a lot of drama going on ... and it never stops. It is as if the filmmakers of As Cool As I Am believed the more drama in play the cooler its central character would be (I mean ... poor, poor Lucy!!). There is too much story here -- so much so we get random bits of narration from Lucy at times -- and more just keeps getting piled on. Like this review, As Cool As I Am rambles and keeps going and going. There are better movies out there.
"As Cool As I Am" 10 Scale Rating: 4.0 (Bad) ... The Good: The cast was solid and did a good job with what they had to work with. Sarah Bolger was absolutely fantastic. I have seen very little of her, but if she turns in performances like this one, then I look forward to seeing more of her. The story is a solid one and the first half is extremely interesting and thought provoking. The Bad: It falls apart in the second act and goes from pretty good to bad. Parts of the story stop making sense and several characters suddenly become downright unlikeable. The ending was poorly done and abrupt. A lot of buildup with no pay off.
As Cool As I Am Quotes
| Lainee: | Why do people stay together? Uh - in bad relationships, I mean. |
| Frances: | They eat so much shit for so long. They don't even recognize the taste of it after a while. |
| Lainee: | So you think I've been eating shit, don't you? |