Film • The
independent film “The Utopia Society” features
students from Cal State Fullerton. Gary Murray – Print
Media
‘
Utopian Society’ film misses college student target
By Matthew Wilkinson
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Throughout history there have been several films that have tried to capture
the life of the average college student on screen.
John P. Aguirre’s indie-film “The Utopian Society” tries
to do just that, and ends up with a bittersweet college comedy about student
interaction.
The film stars six no-name young actors who each play into a certain stereotype
of college life. We have a sorority girl (Malin Akerman), Asian nerd (Kelvin
Yu), female jock (Kristen Ariza), frat guy (Austin Nichols), hippie chick (Sam
Doumit) and the perfectionist guy (Mat Hostetler).
They are the Cal State Fullerton students who are grouped together in a class
assignment to try and form a utopian society.
The group procrastinates and is stuck working together on the last day to complete
the assignment.
The plot revolves around the petty quarrels between characters and the group’s
overall struggles with working together. They have a few exciting bonding experiences
like sake bombs at the sushi bar, stealing beer from the local liquor store
and even a game of strip basketball, but for most of the 93 minutes they are
arguing.
The bottom line is the group has to overcome it’s pre-determined notions
about each other and try to work together to finish a project. These kids,
that can’t go five minutes without arguing, have to form a perfectly
harmoniums society. But who is to say what Utopia is anyway?
“
The Utopian Society” has done extremely well for itself. It has been
selected by over 40 film festivals and has won over half-a-dozen awards. It
has been called the modern day “The Breakfast Club” and has been
said to remind viewers of “American Graffiti.”
The connection to those films was completely missed in my viewing. Although “The
Utopian Society” has memorable moments, it’s missing one very important
factor…a connection within the characters. One of the main reasons “The
Breakfast Club” and “American Graffiti” were so popular was
because of their timeless characters and the connection you felt with them. “The
Utopian Society” does not feature one character you remotely connect
or sympathize with.
As the plot thickens and characters reveal issues like sexual molestation or
drug abuse problems, you’re more likely to find yourself rolling your
eyes when the emo music starts playing instead of actually caring.
Credit is due to the six young actors who played to their stereotypes very
well. Nichols was hysterical as the drunken frat guy, who is forever trying
to score. Akerman (best known for her role as Freakshow’s wife Liane
in “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle”) was a welcomed distraction
as a sorority girl with a bite. The talented cast helped pick up what the script
left out.
While “The Utopian Society” might not be the most accurate film
depicting my college experience, it might be closer to that of other students.
It has been embraced nationwide as a premiere college comedy, and would be
worth a watch by any college student. It was released on DVD late last month
by Polyphonic Records and can be found on Amazon.com.
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