Seemingly little-known, Jeremy is a film I encountered through the recommendation of a radio critic to one of his lovelorn listeners (not me, I promise). Sounding rather interesting, I decided to give it a go.
The tale of first love and the enamouring wonder of teenage affection, Jeremy follows the titular character's rapid fall to the beauty of his beloved Susan. Starting with the first shy introductions, we follow the adventure of this fledgling couple.
Our opening scene introduces us to the main character via his bedroom and possessions as he slumbers on in the background, lightly romantic music giving us a gentle introduction. Once we are satisfactorily au fait with the young chap, scenes of a more verbal nature present us with one of the major themes of the film. The insistence of Jeremy's music teacher that "there's nothing wrong with being a good musician, you don't have to be great", as well as his father's claims that "you can't do two things at the same time and do 'em both well", lay a poignant foundation for later scenes. The first time we meet Susan coincides with her and Jeremy's first meeting, an amusingly sweet scene that might, in other less well constructed circumstances, have seemed sickeningly saccharine. It is from this point that the film's general tone becomes apparent: a tone which almost forces us to feel the same emotions as the characters. Never overbearing, the film keeps us on the same emotional tier as Jeremy and Susan, their growing love an accurate mirror of the audience's gradual inclination towards loving the movie itself. From start to finish, the scenes which feature the young couple are wholly convincing, the performances of both actors never wavering in quality, at least not in the scenes they share. Generally, the film would not suffer from a slightly more proficient cast, though this is almost completely forgotten in the warming aura of love's allure. Perhaps suffering from shortness a tad, the film gives its hero and heroine a little too little time together, though a wonderful central scene of physical culmination represents the beautiful peak of the piece, and of teen romance films in general.
Not without its flaws (though what movie ever was?), Jeremy is an eminently likable film which portrays one of the most realistic and memorable relationships the big screen has seen. Amicable, amiable, affable, and adorable, the film is in every way to us what Susan is to Jeremy: beautiful; irresistible; unforgettable.
The tale of first love and the enamouring wonder of teenage affection, Jeremy follows the titular character's rapid fall to the beauty of his beloved Susan. Starting with the first shy introductions, we follow the adventure of this fledgling couple.
Our opening scene introduces us to the main character via his bedroom and possessions as he slumbers on in the background, lightly romantic music giving us a gentle introduction. Once we are satisfactorily au fait with the young chap, scenes of a more verbal nature present us with one of the major themes of the film. The insistence of Jeremy's music teacher that "there's nothing wrong with being a good musician, you don't have to be great", as well as his father's claims that "you can't do two things at the same time and do 'em both well", lay a poignant foundation for later scenes. The first time we meet Susan coincides with her and Jeremy's first meeting, an amusingly sweet scene that might, in other less well constructed circumstances, have seemed sickeningly saccharine. It is from this point that the film's general tone becomes apparent: a tone which almost forces us to feel the same emotions as the characters. Never overbearing, the film keeps us on the same emotional tier as Jeremy and Susan, their growing love an accurate mirror of the audience's gradual inclination towards loving the movie itself. From start to finish, the scenes which feature the young couple are wholly convincing, the performances of both actors never wavering in quality, at least not in the scenes they share. Generally, the film would not suffer from a slightly more proficient cast, though this is almost completely forgotten in the warming aura of love's allure. Perhaps suffering from shortness a tad, the film gives its hero and heroine a little too little time together, though a wonderful central scene of physical culmination represents the beautiful peak of the piece, and of teen romance films in general.
Not without its flaws (though what movie ever was?), Jeremy is an eminently likable film which portrays one of the most realistic and memorable relationships the big screen has seen. Amicable, amiable, affable, and adorable, the film is in every way to us what Susan is to Jeremy: beautiful; irresistible; unforgettable.