Elijah Wood has one of his first post-Frodo leading roles in this mild-mannered comedy (the title of which was Try Seventeen in its film festival showings). He's a 17-year-old college dropout who moves into a funky old apartment building and becomes intrigued by his wacky neighbors. Mandy Moore plays the self-absorbed actress across the hall, and Run Lola Run goddess Franka Potente is a cranky photographer. The movie has a few surprises (the casting seems to suggest a teenybopper romance for Wood and Moore, but not so fast), although the energy level rarely perks up and it's pretty thin on actual narrative happenings. Wood's tendency toward fantasy is an especially tired device. A furtive sense of humor, plus the big adoring closeups of the highly photogenic leading ladies, provides the low-key interest. Trivia: Elizabeth Perkins plays the hero's irresponsible mom; she was also Elijah Wood's mother in Avalon. --Robert Horton
2.
Seventeen year-old Jones (Elijah Wood) has decided to avoid college in favor of renting a room in a boarding house, and attempting to learn from life while trying to become a writer. As he tries to gain his mother's (Elizabeth Perkins) approval and figure out his father's whereabouts, he becomes involved with both Lisa (Mandy Moore), a struggling actress, and Jane (Franka Potente), an older photographer. When Jane gets into a car accident, and an ex-boyfriend comes to take care of her, Jones realizes how strong his feelings are for her. He then enlists his strange neighbor, Brad (Aaron Pearl), to help win Jane's love.
3.
Elijah Wood stars as seventeen-year-old Jones, an aspiring writer who shelves plans for college and rents a room in a boarding house, where the quirky tenants teach him a lot more than any classroom ever could. Between bouts of longing for his mother’s love and his father’s address, he fantasizes about enhancing his romantic prospects. First, he buys a bed from the oversexed Ma Mabley, who offers to help him break it in. Before long, he becomes involved with struggling actress Lisa. However, it’s the enigmatic Jane, a photographer, and a few years older than he, who really gets his pulse racing. When Jane has a car accident and her ex-boyfriend shows up on his motorcycle, things get complicated. Jones enlists the aid of Brad, his wacky downstairs neighbor, and they concoct a scheme that could get him what he wants . . . and a lot more!
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