“Licorice Pizza” leaves a bittersweet taste

Released in November, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director at this year’s Academy Awards. This film is a love-letter to Southern California and to the 1970s. Shot on 35mm Kodak film, the grainy appearance of the screen romanticizes the retro outfits, colors and music that are so often associated with this era.

The film centers on the relationship between Alana and Gary. Alana is a 25-year-old seeking greater purpose and the affection of others. Gary Valentine has a last name perfect for stardom, which he constantly seeks by landing minor TV roles throughout the film. Though only 15, Gary also struggles with his identity and sense of purpose in an industry where conventional beauty is more valued than talent. Together, the pair is certainly an unlikely duo. They meet while Alana is working the picture day at Gary’s school as one of her many short-lived gigs. While Gary looks very unassuming and rather dorky, his charisma grabs the attention of the flighty Alana. As their friendship deepens, Alana’s immaturity shows through, and the age gap between her and Gary kind of goes on the back burner — though it certainly pops up every now and again considering she is ten years older than him. I’ll come back to this.

The movie’s plot is not as conventional as other blockbusters. There’s no big hero’s journey or major climactic moment. It is simply a story of two people trying to understand themselves. Alana and Gary experience life as it so commonly unfolds: mundane one day, busy the next; filled with lots of soul-searching and the odd jobs that come along with that (they literally go from pursuing acting to selling waterbeds. It’s the 70s, man!). Friends one day, enemies the next and the occasional outlandish events make for an unbelievable story. It’s a pretty relatable tale, especially when you consider the main characters’ desire for love, romantic or otherwise, and the struggles of knowing when you find it in its genuine form and how to keep it when you do.

My biggest issue with “Licorice Pizza” is the foundation of Alana and Gary’s friendship. We continuously see them together lovers’-quarreling, but besides Gary’s infatuation and Alana’s naivete there is no indication that they connect on some deeper level. I was left wondering whether they could’ve fallen in love with any *insert inappropriately aged friend here.* Which leads me to my next point: The ten year age gap between a teen and a 25-year-old shook a lot of people. And while it is an inappropriate relationship, has this not been done time and time again in films? And, not that I’m saying it’s okay by any means, but did Brad Pitt (who was in his thirties at the time) not kiss 11 year old Kirsten Dunst in “Interview With the Vampire”? So I must ask, is it so bad that Alana and Gary fall in love in a film that doesn’t sexualize their relationship, but tries to depict the beautiful and messy parts of loving a person? Maybe we should wonder if we think this rather normalized cinematic theme is weird because the female is older… Some food for thought.

Go see “Licorice Pizza” if you haven’t! Maybe you’ll find something to love. And even if you only find things to hate, who says that’s not also a great reason to see a film?