Angus (film)

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Angus
Promotional poster of Angus (in French)
Directed by	Patrick Read Johnson
Produced by	Charles Roven, Dawn Steele (producer)
Written by	Chris Crutcher (short story), Jill Gordon
Starring	Charlie Talbert, Kathy Bates, George C. Scott, James Van Der Beek
Music by	David E. Russo
Distributed by	New Line Cinema
Release date(s)	September 15, 1995
Running time	90 minutes
Language	English
IMDb profile

Angus is a 1995 film based on the short story "A Brief Moment In The Life of Angus Bethune" by Chris Crutcher. The film stars Charlie Talbert and James Van Der Beek in their first film roles, as well as Chris Owen, Ariana Richards, and Academy Award winners George C. Scott, Kathy Bates and Rita Moreno.

Some consider the film as a superficial after-school special for its familiar underdog story and inherent preachiness. The film was largely forgotten amidst other obesity-related films that came out at the time, notably Heavyweights (1995) and Heavy (1996). Others conclude that it more accurately portrays high school life than most other films about adolescence, since it takes a critical view of obesity, bullying, self-esteem, and high school inclusiveness, while highlighting the importance of assuring oneself in an ideologically competitive world.

Of note is the performance of newcomer Charlie Talbert as the title character and the interaction between Angus his grandfather (Scott), whose philosophy can be summed up in his recurring line: "Screw 'em!"

1 Plot synopsis
- 1.1 Themes
- 1.2 Alternate Versions
2 Soundtrack
- 2.1 Track listing
3 External links

[edit] Plot synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Angus Bethune (Talbert) is a 14-year-old boy who, despite his talents as a football player and in science class, holds deep insecurities about himself. His high school peers, led by the handsome Rick Sanford (Van Der Beek) and his complacent cohorts, regularly harass Angus for not being "normal," since Angus is pathetically overweight and is, in their view, "named after a cow." Because of this, Angus applies for a science school where he hopes to be free of the constant humiliation. Such infamy has shied Angus away from revealing his feelings to his secret crush, the blonde cheerleader Melissa Lefevre (Richards), for fear that she will reject him, and because she is currently dating Rick. Rick, however, is not lost on Angus' wish: As the ultimate prank, he rigs an election so that Angus and Melissa will dance together in the upcoming Winter Ball as King and Queen, respectively.

Frightened upon learning this, Angus gets help from his best (and only) friend Troy Wedberg (Owen), his mother Meg (Bates), and his narcoleptic Grampa. His grandfather tells him about a dance move called the Irish Swoon that he claims is a guaranteed lady-pleaser, but Angus fears that his largeness makes him an inept dancer and would embarrass both him and Melissa. To fix this, Grampa takes Angus to Madame Rulenska (Moreno), where despite Angus' best efforts he comes out worse than before (and injuring the hapless Madame in the process).

One day after football practice, Angus opens his locker and sees that his favorite pair of boxers are missing. Angus and Troy learn later with their own eyes that their fellow quarterback Rick hoisted his boxers up the flagpole for the school to see, which then fly squarely onto passerby Melissa's face. Angus storms home in anger, but Rick and company quickly kidnap Troy, asking him for anything that would embarrass Angus at the Winter Ball. Troy refuses their request and tries to escape, only to break his arm as he trips to the floor while Rick gives Troy an ultimatum.

Meanwhile, Angus helps Grampa prepare for his marriage to the young thirty-something named April. As Angus waits with Grampa in his room on the day of the wedding and confides with him his love for Melissa, he tries to wake him, but he quickly discovers that he is dead. Distraught, Angus opts to stay home for a few days (time in which, for fear that Rick will hurt him even more, Troy procures a videotape to Rick).

Later that week, while cleaning up from the wedding, Angus receives a box from April and opens it, revealing the plum suit that Angus had earlier rejected. Resolved to grant Grampa's wish, he rejects an interview from the science school he applied to, wears his plum suit and marches to the school gymnasium, where the dance is held. Angus meets Melissa, and the two converse for the first time. As they are introduced to the students, Rick plays Troy's videotape on the monitors, which shows Angus dancing with an inflatable doll. The students laugh while Melissa runs out of the gym, and Angus follows. Outside the gym, Angus apologizes, yet surprisingly Melissa shows her disgust with Rick and reveals that she is bulimic. Finding common ground, the two return to the gym and dance, even as Melissa helps him out with some of the steps. After the two receive a mild reception from the students, Rick scolds Melissa, while Angus comes to her defense. It is here that Angus finally confronts Rick and petitions him to realize that there are in fact many people that don't fit Rick's idea of "normal," are unwantingly ostracized for it, and are fed up with the humiliation. Rick refuses Angus' plea; nevertheless, the students congratulate Angus for taking a stand.

At the end, Angus walks Melissa home, where she gives Angus a good-night kiss as they part. Angus walks to the street with a smile denoting a sureness he has never felt before. From her window, Melissa secretly views Angus walking confidently into the darkness.

[edit] Themes

During the film, Angus takes counsel from two people: Troy Wedberg, a small and geeky boy who attempts to turn Angus into a "large pathetic virgin with a new look" by giving Angus an edgier style and encouraging him to exercise in hopes that Angus will look more attractive; and Angus' grandfather, an assured yet narcoleptic crank who readies himself to marry a woman thirty years his junior, who encourages him to go to the ball by ordering Angus to stop caring about what everyone else will think of him and his pairing with the popular Melissa. Thus we are introduced to two opposing ideals of which Angus must choose: Adopt a new personality that would give him the long-term acceptance he longs, or overcome his shame and accept himself as a unique individual. The question is exemplified in a scene where Angus, Grampa, and Troy shop in a tuxedo store, where the only suit available in Angus' size comes in the color of plum. Troy mocks the suit ("Put it on a dead guy and bury it.") while Angus begs Grampa to buy a more "socially acceptable" black suit even though all of the store's available black suits fit him too tightly. Grampa, however, insists that the suit will benefit Angus by making him even more "different."

The film also features a recurring symbolism based around an experiment Angus conducts in hopes of getting into the science school. This is introduced in Angus's science class, where he posits that a foreign element introduced into a homogenous system will be rejected and destroyed. He puts a drop of a red substance into an environment composed solely of a blue substance, and the red element explodes in a puff of smoke. This is later directly related to Angus's own attempts to be himself in the largely homogenous high school crowd. In one scene, an overhead shot reveals that Angus is the only person wearing red at a pep rally full of students wearing the school color (blue).

[edit] Alternate Versions

The film once had scenes featuring Angus' homosexual dad. Producer Dawn Steel at first approved the idea, but upon seeing a test screening she asked director Johnson to cut it. Hence, we are told early in the film that Angus' dad died while he was being born.

[edit] Soundtrack

Professional reviews
Angus: Music from the Motion Picture

*Soundtrack to the film Angus* by Various Artists**
Released	August 22, 1995
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	34:48
Label	Warner Bros. Records
All Music Guide link

The film's soundtrack accurately reflects the melodic ideas prevalent in the alternative rock scene at the time. Most of the bands perform songs that closely resonate with the themes of the film while keeping a fast yet upbeat tone, a sharp departure from the age of grunge, which had just reached its twilight. (It should be noted that Angus' penchant for flannel and denim, as well as his defeatist persona, are concepts more closely associated with grunge.) However, several key songs are absent in the CD that was released, most notably "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star, the song that was played as Angus and Melissa danced.

Weezer offered to write two songs: One entitled "Wanda," which references the earlier version of the script, and "You Gave Your Love To Me Softly." Only the latter was used. "Am I Wrong" by Love Spit Love features the marching band from director Patrick Read Johnson's high school.

Green Day contributed "J.A.R." (Jason Andrew Relva), a song written by bassist Mike Dirnt about his friend who died in a car accident when he was 19. This song peaked at number one on the Modern Rock Billboard charts of 1995. This song was later released on their 2001 greatest hits album, International Superhits. Meanwhile, Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong co-produced "Back to You" by The Riverdales with producer Mass Giorgini, which was featured during the dance sequence at the high prom in the film.

The music supervisors for "Angus" were Elliot Cahn and Jeff Saltzman, who, at the time, also managed two of the soundtrack's artists: Green Day and The Muffs.