Following the film “Funny People,” I was looking forward to a light-weight fun film with a good dose of romance. Lucky for me, I elected to see “Post Grad,” starring Alexis Bledel and Zach Gilford. The film focused on Bledel as Ryden Malby, a young woman just out of college with the world at her feet.
Right away Ryden found the apartment of her dreams and scored an interview at the most prestigious book publishing company in Los Angeles. But, like anything in life, it does not go according to plan and she finds herself stuck in the quagmire that every grad is now facing — she has a college degree and no where to use it. Thus, because the job market has dried up, Ryden is forced to re-examine her chosen career path and what is important in her life.
The film offers a breezy look at how Ryden bumbles along trying to figure out what to do next. Along the way, we are introduced to Ryden’s family, which comprises of her well-intentioned, but a bit hapless father (nicely played by Michael Keaton); her dedicated and stalwart mother (comedically played by Jane Lynch of “Glee” fame), her death-obsessed grandmother (a gracefully aging, but still over-the-top Carol Burnett), and her slightly odd but enthusiastic younger brother (the adorable kid from “Martian Child”, Bobby Coleman).
Contributing to Ryden’s close-knit, loving world is her best friend, Adam (charmingly played by Gilford, best known as Matt Saracen to “Friday Night Lights” fans); and the hot Latin neighbor who sweeps Ryden off her feet, Rodrigo Santoro (Paulo from “Lost”).
“Post Grad” follows the same vein as “300 Days of Summer” with a young man pining after the girl of his dreams. Fortunately, in this love story, the story has a more classic ending. Ryden simply has some adventures along the way to discovering whether her dream-job is truly dream-worthy and whether her dream-man is as dreamy as she thought at first blush. In peeling back the layers of life, Ryden finds that not everything is as it appears on the surface and she is lucky enough to get a second chance at happiness.
By far the performances are what win the audience over. Bledel is adorable and believable as a fresh out-of-college graduate and Gilford is swoon-worthy as her musically inclined friend torn between pursuing a singing career and going to law school. And the song he sings for her certainly deserves to become one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes!
While it will undoubtedly go under the radar amongst all the bigger summer fare at the box office, for those looking for a bit more fun and a tinge of perfectly portioned romance, “Post Grad” is a film you should be putting on your “must see” list. It is a quirky, summer charmer.
“Post Grad” was written by Kelly Fremon and directed by Vicky Jenson.
The TV Watchtower 