BY VICTORIA SOMMER
4 stars
Staff Writer

Miles Teller portrays the reckless life of high school senior Sutter Keeley, whose biggest priority in life is to live specifically in the “now.”

This way of life amounts to a problem for Keeley in the film The Spectacular Now. One morning he winds up passed out along the paper route of Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley). Keeley, a budding alcoholic who has been dumped by his girlfriend due to his lack of ambition, falls for Finecky.

She basically is his safety net whom he confides in when he feels worthless. Teller’s character profoundly highlights the life of a misguided teenager who has been hopelessly denied love and attention. Yet Keeley takes his anger out on everyone who tries to love him, specifically Finecky.

Keeley’s greatest fear is to open his heart to anyone. Unfortunately, it is not until his life spirals downhill that he realizes it is necessary for his philosophy of life to change. After reconnecting with his deadbeat father, Keeley experiences an epiphany that he is the real problem.

At first this movie seems like a cute love story where the popular hard-partying teenage boy falls for the not-so-popular good girl, but the message is much deeper. The viewers find themselves pitying Keeley throughout the entire film, hoping that he is given at least one chance to turn his life around.

Refreshingly it is not another sappy love movie. The characters are real in the sense that not everything works out in their favor and the ending is far from predictable. Instead this love story holds the powerful message that a lack of love and attention leaves little light for a bright future.