Josh Peck made a likable guy next door type who has obviously gotten in over his head by moving to the big city after college. He has a past he won't talk about but manages to be so nice and pleasant to everyone around him, in spite of what he's not revealing. He has two possible friend groups but neither one looks particularly appealing to the average person. Either he will become friends with a group of tough looking Latinos who might be trouble, or a fun-loving diverse group who seem to be mostly gay. Both groups are friendly, in their own way. Daniel seems accepting of both but doesn't really fit in either place.
The real standout here is Finn Whitrock. What a personality. He is an acquired taste and it's not clear whether he cares about anyone but himself, and yet he shows concern for others. Or is it stalkerish behavior? We'll find out. He wears too much makeup in some scenes and way too much makeup in others and seems gay but kisses women too. And yet in one scene he looks "normal". He also shows a dark side that is different from how he comes across at first.
Aubrey Peeples is the pretty love interest for Daniel, who was dropped by his equally pretty girlfriend early on. She is more "normal" than most of the cast members and we are surly rooting for Daniel to be with her, but there are obstacles. Their favorite place to go is a quiet mountain with a great view of Los Angeles.
But then Daniel lives next door to the gorgeous Valerie Cruz. Maybe they'll end up together instead? She's really nice and her life is more conventional, and her sons like Daniel, and he likes them back. Dad is never shown but mentioned. I would have liked to see more of the boys. Cruz was really good in at least one scene.
All the leading actors do a good job. There is a dark mystery and some scenes are just plain creepy.
I would like to have laughed more. There are a few humorous moments.
In addition to the woman with two boys, there are two families here, and I don't mean people who are related, though two sisters are part of one of the groups. Family values are emphasized in one group.
The movie's biggest strength, if you happen to be one of those who prefers independent films that win awards to films designed for a large audience (I'm not), is the constant emphasis on philosophy. Daniel is a writer who likes Kerouac, so the artistic group seems to be his style. Maybe.
The fictional university shown in the opening scenes is really beautiful. Too bad more of the movie couldn't have been there.
I didn't care much for the music.
Not family friendly at all. The sound kept going out, and most of the times that it did, it wasn't because of the antenna that I used to pick up the TV signal. Though that was a problem too occasionally. The group that Daniel belonged to had a different idea of morals than Daniel did. And in one scene, all of Daniel is shown from the back. On broadcast TV that is blurry.
I would say it's worth seeing for some people. Not ideal for me.
