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Quirky Whimsical Indie Flicks — Where Have You Gone?

Please Come Back and Smash Studio Rom Coms with Your Combat Boot / Dustin Rowles

Trailers | February 12, 2009 | Comments (35)

Fuck, I miss the quirky, whimsical romantic comedies. What happened to them? Did Diablo Cody kill them all? I know Garden State unleashed an avalanche of backlash, but just because that movie didn’t age particularly well (although, give it five years, and you’ll probably love it again), I truly do miss the indie romances. You really don’t know what you are missing until they’re gone. I miss the awkward, weird meet-cutes. I miss The Shins on their soundtracks. I miss the unusual pairings. I miss the warm and fuzzies. The bright lights. The colors! And, goddamnit: I miss Zooey Deschanel doing what she does best: Quirky, cute strange love interest.

Here’s the trailer for Gigantic. It may very well satiate me for a while. Zooey is being Zooey. Paul Dano has grown out of the awkward gangly thing just a bit, but not too much, and people: John fucking Goodman. Say it, pray it, love it. John fucking Goodman. Give me give me give me:









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Comments

Count on Zooey to bring good indie romantic comedies back. This and "500 Days of Summer" both look very promising.

Posted by: Edie at February 12, 2009 10:34 AM

I'll have to take your word for it because I can't get that to play. But I do LOVE John Goodman. He is just not in enough things.

As for indie romances, you saw Once right? Everyone saw Once? If not, watch that. So good.

Posted by: Carrie at February 12, 2009 10:36 AM

Quirky, whimsical romantic comedies. Independent film. Manic pixie dream girls. Awkward, weird meet-cutes. It's like somebody turned SWPL into a screenplay.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at February 12, 2009 10:39 AM

You remember the 90s too, yes? Sigh sigh sigh. Don't know what you got til it's gone.

Admittedly I'm off of love stories at the moment and am bitterly resigned and don't much want to watch or read about other cute people being fucking happy but....

...you know....maybe...

It is rare that Zooey's not the supporting role in a movie I don't want to see, so that's morally hard to discount (obviously I'm also uneasy about "500 Days of Summer").

Posted by: Jay at February 12, 2009 10:42 AM

Hmm. It seems OK! I'm more looking forward to 500 Days of Summer, which looks completely adorable.

Also, I really like Paul Dano but - dude - that hair!

Posted by: Caspar at February 12, 2009 10:49 AM

Now...who the hell taught you how to pitch a trailer's cast, Dustin?

You KNOW what I'm talking about.

Posted by: Jay at February 12, 2009 10:50 AM

"Once" was really good. And I think I really want to see this one too. I loove Zooey. And if she sings in it... well I don't know what I would do. I suppose something unflattering.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at February 12, 2009 10:51 AM

It is surprisingly difficult to appreciate a trailer that has to stop every 3 seconds and buffering...buffering...bufeering....

Posted by: peachfish at February 12, 2009 10:52 AM

I agree. Just pause it and let it fill up. The speed kicked in eventually.

Posted by: Jay at February 12, 2009 11:00 AM

I saw this movie at TIFF. I am sorry to spoil it for you but I wasn't impressed. They had a bunch of interesting characters doing a whole lot of nothing in the movie. It is sweet but unsatisfying. And Zooey is ridiculously cute. So you can still go see it and form you own opinion.

Posted by: Tra at February 12, 2009 11:03 AM

I could have sworn I saw Sam Rockwell in there at one point....No? His friend, the one asking if he likes this girl?

Well, ok, maybe it was wishful thinking. But, Ed Asner! I really really truly had thought he'd passed away. What a nice surprise!

Posted by: Songbird at February 12, 2009 11:08 AM

See? Songbird knows what I'm screamin.

Posted by: Jay at February 12, 2009 11:11 AM

Aw, I wish I could watch this. It keeps stopping to "buffer" every ten freakin' seconds. I love Zooey, and I liked Dano in Little Miss Sunshine, though I didn't really like the movie itself that much. And, I wish Goodman would be in more movies, because every time he is, he's just awesome. (And I just scrolled back up and realized Carrie said the same thing. So, I reiterate.)

Also seconding the excitement for 500 Days of Summer. I love these movies. Yeee! I'm excited now!

Posted by: Anna von Beaverplatz at February 12, 2009 11:16 AM

Fuck, I miss the quirky, whimsical romantic comedies. What happened to them? Did Diablo Cody kill them all?

Thanks Dustin...now I have the image of Diablo Cody curbstomping Indie Romance Movies in a pair stiletto heels. We need to get John Cusack in protective custody NOW before she moves on to mainstream rom-coms!

Posted by: Mike R. at February 12, 2009 11:41 AM

You will NEVER ever again get whimsy and romantic. WHY? because everything and everyone has been turned into "product."

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at February 12, 2009 11:47 AM

ed asner is awesome... i wanna be that gruff.

Posted by: jim at February 12, 2009 11:51 AM

I miss the awkward, weird meet-cutes. I miss The Shins on their soundtracks. I miss the unusual pairings. I miss the warm and fuzzies. The bright lights. The colors!

Replace The Shins with Feeder, and you basically have Ten Inch Hero. Seriously.
It's warm and fuzzy and sweet and colorful, and truthfully, I'd have enjoyed it even without Ackles.

Posted by: Tarn at February 12, 2009 11:52 AM

I have to say I was skeptical before seeing the trailer. I guess I'm alone in getting a little tired of Zooey, especially since she uses up all my good will by appearing in a LOT of really bad movies (and acting badly in them too -- if you're going to accept the paycheck, at least act like you give a shit). But I have to say that this looks pretty good. Zooey looks to be in fine form, Dano looks to be fantastic, and how does anyone resist Goodman, Asner and Jane Alexander???

Posted by: jimbob at February 12, 2009 11:53 AM

It's like somebody turned SWPL into a screenplay.

Well, since I'm a white people, I should love this film. Excellent!

Posted by: tamatha at February 12, 2009 11:57 AM

(although, give [Garden State] five years, and you'll probably love it again)

Again? That's mighty presumptuous of you. Yeah, Garden State was poop, I finally watched Juno and thought it was extremely blah, except for when it was creepy, and Waitress was also eh for me. Whoooo, quirky indie romantic comedies! I'm not wasting my time on the trailer.

Although maybe now that I'm basically in a relationship I'll appreciate them more. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT.

Posted by: Sabrina at February 12, 2009 12:02 PM

You know Juno would have really impressed me if Bateman's character had gone full, hardcore, oral on Juno when they were up on that room... your cunni is lingus..eggo preggo.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at February 12, 2009 12:24 PM

You will NEVER ever again get whimsy and romantic. WHY? because everything and everyone has been turned into "product."
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at February 12, 2009 11:47 AM

I kind of disagree, Slim. I found Stardust to be whimsical and romantic and charming. That only came out a couple of years ago. Once was romantic and sweet, maybe not whimsical... I think it's still possible.

Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but I'm going to keep looking forward to those few exceptional movies that just make you go, "awwwww"!

Posted by: Lainey at February 12, 2009 12:31 PM

I like it, I like it. I don't care about the romantic comedy, but I'm all about the quirky. And John Goodman is fab to the oo.

Posted by: Cindy at February 12, 2009 12:40 PM

Oh and Ed Asner! I have a "daddy" thing for him!

Maybe I'll check out Junebug on Netflix.

Posted by: AbeVigodaLives at February 12, 2009 12:50 PM

The problem with the indie mentality is that as soon as something's popular, it's no longer "indie." I seem to remember Juno getting quite a good review on this site. I can't help feeling that if Rocket Science had spawned catchphrases and cello-through-window merchandise we'd experience a backlash towards that (masterpiece) as well.

Posted by: james. at February 12, 2009 2:12 PM

Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but I'm going to keep looking forward to those few exceptional movies that just make you go, "awwwww"!

Seconded. This looks adorable and I'm putting it on my list of movies that I'll actually pay to see in a theater.

Posted by: Nicole at February 12, 2009 2:30 PM

Turns out Zack Galifianakis is in this as a hitman. That is one of the best ideas I've heard in a very long time.

Posted by: james. at February 12, 2009 2:38 PM

Despite the fact that this was pretty much a movie in 2:23 seconds (I hate long trailers) it looks excellent and if I see it right when it comes out or it doesn't get a ton of hype I'll definitely enjoy it. Thanks for the heads up!

Oh and another untainted indie romace: Wristcutters A Love Story. Really well done.

Posted by: grace b at February 12, 2009 3:03 PM

Ed fucking Wuncler bitches!

Posted by: Protoguy at February 12, 2009 5:07 PM

beardy man thats in there for a frame looked a bit like old-new crazy himself... jaoquin phoenix. id like it id he hadnt quit appearing in films but wasnt acting anymore and just played this whole kaufman i went crazy cus my brother died in my arms thing in every film he did.
Still I can always enjoy the fact that I still hate Jim Belushi for not going this crackers or this interesting in his career when his brother died.
Although I admit in a wine fueled haze that I liked that K-9 film when i saw it in like 1991 semi because i thought it was a prequel to how K-9 from doctor who lived before his soul was reincarnated into a dog and semi because i was 4 years old.

Posted by: jim at February 12, 2009 7:30 PM

John Goodman CAN save lives! I love his fat adorable face, he's saved a lot of goddam movies for me. I even loved him on Roseanne and wanted to cuddle with him every time I saw him on there.
Since when has Zooey Deschanel become the indie movie poster child? I thought it was Chloe Sevigny?

Posted by: ph at February 12, 2009 7:56 PM

I thought it was Chloe Sevigny?

Naw, mid to late 90s was more her scene I think, mixing in with Parker Posey's high water mark. Zooey doesn't seem to actually do a lot of indie lead stuff, rather there's a frustrating amount of things I'm at least dubious about, but she's kinda built for it anyway. I saw "Almost Famous" and thought "I want to see her all the time", but then it was like "oh, but not in that.......yeah, not in that either.....not in that......aw, shit". Life's a bitch!

Posted by: Jay at February 12, 2009 8:06 PM

YES i thought I saw Zach in there for a sec. YAY. And Zooey!!

Posted by: kam at February 12, 2009 9:05 PM

Isn't Paul Dano that disturbing preacher kid from There Will Be Blood?


And Zooey Deschanel?


Man, there's a scary genetic pool to go swimming in.

Posted by: karstark at February 13, 2009 3:35 AM

ARRRGHHH fuck no. I hated, hated Garden State. It'd be best for all of us if the indie-romance genre just died off the face of the earth.

Posted by: Maria at February 16, 2009 12:53 PM