take me home tonight movie review

A story about Darwin award finalists

Chris Pratt, Bruce Nelson and Garret Allen.

I follow the Darwin Awards carefully. Those are the mentions given out on the Internet every year of people whose deaths may have improved the species by removing them from the gene pool. Many of the characters in “Take Me Home Tonight” might make a contribution in that way.

Let me run this past you. Your name is Matt ( Topher Grace ). You are maybe 10 years out of high school. You work at a Los Angeles video store. You want to impress a girl named Tori ( Teresa Palmer ) you lusted after in school. She walks into the video store. You lie and tell her you are a banker with Goldman Sachs. You end up at a party, and she’s there. It turns out she’s also in banking, and happens to know that Goldman Sachs doesn’t have a Los Angeles office.

Everybody then gets drunk and exchanges inane dialogue during the longest scene set at a party since the 45-minute formal ball in Visconti’s “ The Leopard ” (1963). Your most hated rival is throwing the party. Your high school class had some kind of cockamamie ritual test involving the Ball (I may have the name wrong, but I’m close). This is a large metal sphere, apparently hammered together out of old junkyard parts. It’s in the bed of your rival’s pickup truck.

You decide one way to regain your self-respect and win esteem in Tori’s eyes is to risk the challenge of the Ball. The idea is, you climb inside the Ball, the truck bed is tilted, and the Ball rolls out of control downhill on a canyon road above Los Angeles. To get into the Ball is to qualify yourself as a finalist for the Darwin Award. To aid and abet anyone involved in this process is to act as an accessory to murder.

Now let me get back to that a party scene. It is unendurably long. There are endless camera set-ups to define various groupings of characters who perform badly-written dialogue. Among these characters are Matt’s twin sister Wendy ( Anna Faris ) and her boyfriend Kyle ( Chris Pratt ). Wendy got all the brains in the family. Matt got to be Topher Grace. In that family, a trade-off. Wendy is holding an envelope which will tell her if she has been accepted to “Cambridge University.” Kyle thinks they should get married. He doesn’t know where Cambridge is. This gives you a notion of the depth of his interest in her.

I put the words “Cambridge University” in quotes to mislead you into thinking nobody calls Cambridge by that name. Actually, that’s its official name, but it is uncool to say “Cambridge University.” Most people say “Cambridge” and people know what you’re talking about. You know, like “Berkeley.” Anybody tells you they’re going to the “University of California at Berkeley,” they must think you just got off the train.

“Take Me Home Tonight” must have been made with people who had a great deal of nostalgia for the 1980s, a relatively unsung decade. More power to them. The movie unfortunately gives them no dialogue expanding them into recognizable human beings. They speak entirely in plot points and punchlines and seem to be motivated only by lust, greed and ego. Well, we all are, but few bring to this motivation so little intelligence and wit.

Besides, I have news for Tori, who works in banking and thinks she’s so smart. If she thinks Goldman Sachs doesn’t have a Los Angeles office, she should pay a visit to Suite 2600 in Fox Plaza at 2121 Avenue of the Stars.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Teresa Palmer as Tori
• Michael Biehn as Bill
• Topher Grace as Matt
• Anna Faris as Wendy
• Chris Pratt as Kyle
• Dan Fogler as Barry
• Jackie Filgo

Directed by

• Michael Dowse

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Movie review: ‘Take Me Home Tonight’

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In “Take Me Home Tonight,” Topher Grace is completely out of place — and I mean in the actual movie, not just as the directionless MIT-grad working at a video store and living at home while he figures life out.

Grace, with an appealing, self-deprecating charm and good comic timing, always seemed the most likely to succeed out of the graduating class of “That ‘70s Show,” the Fox sitcom that spawned Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher among others. It hasn’t turned out that way, at least not yet.

The only person who’s got it worse than Grace here is Matt, his character. If the video store gig wasn’t bad enough, his romantic prospects are nonexistent. He’s still harboring a crush on the girl he spent “seven minutes in heaven” with — and did nothing — when they were kids. The crush (Teresa Palmer) turns up, beautiful still and now a rising commodities trader. Matt’s friends and family urge him to reconnect, including sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and his BFF Barry (Dan Fogler).

Now what better way to woo a young hot professional type and turn a floundering life around than a Labor Day weekend booze-fest. Chris Pratt shows up as our blowout party host, head of humiliation and Wendy’s unlikely intended — she’s smart, he’s not. Meanwhile, Fogler is in charge of general mayhem and most of the drug intake, though he also delivers the most laughs.

Director Michael Dowse seems to specialize in beer as much as anything else in his films. That tradition began with the headbanging brawl of his first feature, “Fubar” in 2002; its sequel, “Fubar: Balls to the Wall,” heads to video next month. Marginally better was his 2004 deaf-DJ biopic, “It’s All Gone Pete Tong,” though its star, British comic Paul Kaye, did most of the heavy lifting.

“Take Me Home” has been cooling its heels on the shelf for a while. It hasn’t been helped by the delay. In a Netflix and Redbox world, the video store plot line feels dated from the opening. Even the whole smart-slacker-looking-for-himself genre is in need of freshening. It is telling that the biggest laugh comes when the well-endowed chick’s top comes off and we don’t see her assets.

There are other issues too. Whenever the script, by married writers Jackie and Jeff Filgo (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “That ‘70s Show”) goes limp, which is a lot, the director turns to music. Usually music comes as a relief in movies like this, as in, at least there’s that great cover of the Stones.... But not here. It only signals we’re heading into another tedious interlude filled with tight shots of dancing crowds.

Overall “Take Me Home Tonight” represents a lateral move at best for its 24-hour party people, a step back at worst, and not worth your time either way.

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Former Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey is an award-winning entertainment journalist and bestselling author. She left the newsroom in 2015. In addition to her critical essays and reviews of about 200 films a year for The Times, Sharkey’s weekly movie reviews appeared in newspapers nationally and internationally. Her books include collaborations with Oscar-winning actresses Faye Dunaway on “Looking for Gatsby” and Marlee Matlin on “I’ll Scream Later.” Sharkey holds a degree in journalism and a master’s in communications theory from Texas Christian University.

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Take me home tonight.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 2 Reviews
• Kids Say 5 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

All-night-party movie mixes raunch and warmth.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this all-night-party movie set in the 1980s is, on the surface, focused on the main characters getting "wasted" and "laid." And while there's plenty of content related to sex and drinking/drugs, by the time the night ends, the characters have learned lessons about facing challenges rather…

Why Age 16+?

Strong, persistent language throughout includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t,"

The main character sleeps with the girl he once had a crush on in high school. S

One of the main characters pours a huge glass of wine after getting fired. He al

Pepsi bottles are on view during a dinner scene. The main character works at Sun

The main character agrees to perform a dangerous stunt during a party. As a resu

Any Positive Content?

The main characters embark on a night of debauchery that includes sex, drinking,

The movie's hero, Matt, has put his life on hold, ignoring his gift with math an

Strong, persistent language throughout includes many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "bitch," "goddamn," "blow job," "bastard," "oh my God," "prick," "d--k," "a--hole," "p---y," "screwed," "hell," "ass," "hell," "laid," "boobs," and "slut." The characters also lip sync to a hardcore rap song that features the "N" word.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The main character sleeps with the girl he once had a crush on in high school. She takes off her top, but her breasts aren't shown. The main character's friend starts to have sex with a woman in a bathroom, with another man watching. The woman is seen naked. Also extensive innuendo, some crotch-grabbing (while dancing), and a sequence about how men look at women's breasts.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

One of the main characters pours a huge glass of wine after getting fired. He also takes huge swigs from a bottle of champagne. He finds a bag of cocaine in a car and decides to snort some; he's shown clearly enjoying the high. Young adults are seen drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at a party. This is all played for humor, and there is no indication of addiction -- but there are also no serious consequences.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Pepsi bottles are on view during a dinner scene. The main character works at Suncoast Video, which is shown once and then frequently mentioned over the course of the movie. Budweiser bottles are on view during most of the party sequences.

Violence & Scariness

The main character agrees to perform a dangerous stunt during a party. As a result, he crashes into several cars and nearly drowns. There's a brief fight, mostly involving pushing and shoving.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The main characters embark on a night of debauchery that includes sex, drinking, drugs, stealing a car, and, chiefly, lying. But it's clear that they're not bad people, and they make every attempt to undo their bad behavior and set things right. Plus, Matt learns to stop "playing it safe" and try something, anything, with his life. In essence, he learns bravery and to face challenges.

Positive Role Models

The movie's hero, Matt, has put his life on hold, ignoring his gift with math and numbers to work a brain-dead job. He's afraid of taking risks and facing challenges and lies to get a date with a girl he likes. But over the course of the movie, he struggles to undo his lie and begins to work up the courage to face life's challenges.

Parents need to know that this all-night-party movie set in the 1980s is, on the surface, focused on the main characters getting "wasted" and "laid." And while there's plenty of content related to sex and drinking/drugs, by the time the night ends, the characters have learned lessons about facing challenges rather than avoiding them. Still, expect lots of strong language ("f--k," "s--t," "p---y," and more), drug use and drinking, and sexual situations, innuendoes, and even some nudity. Bottom line? Save this one for older teens ... and parents who fondly remember the era of skinny ties and shoulder pads. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (5)

Based on 2 parent reviews

Iffy for 16+

Excellent movie, what's the story.

It's the 1980s, and math genius Matt Franklin ( Topher Grace ) has graduated from MIT but can't decide what he wants to do with his life ... so he works at a video store. One day his old high school crush, Tori Frederking ( Teresa Palmer ), walks in, and to win a date with her, he lies about being a successful banker. She invites him to a party, and Matt shows up with his best friend Barry ( Dan Fogler ) -- a loud, precocious car salesman who has just lost his job. Accompanied by Matt's sister, Wendy ( Anna Faris ), they steal a car to make the ruse complete. While Barry experiments with cocaine, a dance-off, and sex with strange women, Matt must figure out a way to keep Tori interested without letting his lie get out of control.

Is It Any Good?

Anyone who loved Sixteen Candles back in the 1980s will love TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, too. Thanks to the fine casting and the earnest devotion to the old, all-night-party genre, the movie works its warm, funny magic and casts a spell that's both nostalgic and naughty. It's so good-natured and sweet, in fact, that somehow the heavy language, sex, and drugs don't seem particularly shocking or offensive (but that doesn't mean that it's an age-appropriate pick for younger viewers).

Grace is nicely cast as the former high school nerd, and Fogler gets to be a bit more than the goofy sidekick; he actually gets most of the movie's action. Palmer has an undeniable spark, and Faris is one of our best current screen comediennes. The combination of the four is nearly unbeatable. And Canadian director Michael Dowse balances everything admirably, despite his uneven previous movies ( It's All Gone Pete Tong , etc.).

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the sex in the movie. What is the movie saying about sex and relationships? Do some characters have more meaningful experiences than others? What message does that send?

Barry tries cocaine -- as well as alcohol -- after a terrible day in which he loses his job. Is that an excuse for his behavior? What kinds of consequences could that have had in real life?

Why would Matt be afraid of doing something with his life? Why is he hiding? Does that make him more sympathetic or relatable?

Who do you think this movie is intended to appeal to -- today's teens or older audiences who were teens/young adults during the '80s? Why?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 4, 2011
• On DVD or streaming : July 19, 2011
• Cast : Anna Faris , Dan Fogler , Teresa Palmer , Topher Grace
• Director : Michael Dowse
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Rogue Pictures
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 97 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language, sexual content and drug use
• Last updated : June 20, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

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Take Me Home Tonight (2011)

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Movie Review | 'Take Me Home Tonight'

’Tween College and What Comes Next

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By Stephen Holden

• March 3, 2011

Duran Duran, cocaine, big hair: the period signifiers in “Take Me Home Tonight” all scream 1980s. But the premise of this reasonably watchable immersion in nostalgia is “timeless,” as Hollywood hype would have it. What that means is that you could attach any set of sounds and images from a specific decade of American pop culture, starting in the 1950s, to the same basic concept established by “The Graduate” and “American Graffiti” and made formulaic by John Hughes comedies and the “American Pie” franchise. You don’t need a hot tub time machine to go back 25 years or so.

In a nutshell: Nerdy, scared college graduate home for the summer works in a video store, where he meets unapproachable dream girl for whom he has pined since the 10th grade. All his hopes and fears are exposed at a bacchanalian Labor Day bash during which he and his tubby sidekick act out like crazy, and the dream girl is won and lost. Life lessons are learned.

The nerd in question is Matt Franklin (Topher Grace), a policeman’s son in California, whose good-hearted father spent a quarter of his life savings sending Matt, a shy math wiz, to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Daddy (Michael Connell Biehn) is impatient with Matt for dragging his heels about deciding what’s next. Because the dream girl, Tori (Teresa Palmer), works for a West Coast branch of the now-defunct investment house Drexel Burnham Lambert, Matt feels obliged to lie and pretend to be an employee of Goldman Sachs.

Meanwhile Matt’s twin sister, Wendy (Anna Faris), a short-story writer, has applied to Cambridge in England, but is so nervous she can’t bring herself to read the response to her application. When Wendy’s unlikely jock boyfriend, Kyle (Chris Pratt), proposes to her, the pressure is on.

Matt’s comic foil is his schlubby best friend, Barry (Dan Fogler), who skipped college to work at a car dealership. Fired from his job, he coaxes Matt to break into the lot with him and steal a fancy auto in which they discover a pile of cocaine. Do I have to tell you that before the night is out they wreck the vehicle? Does it matter that Mr. Grace , Ms. Faris and Mr. Fogler are about a decade older than their 23-year-old characters? Yes, a little bit.

But what keeps the movie, directed by Michael Dowse, on a more or less even keel is its steady pacing and emotional kinship to John Hughes comedies like “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club.” Even in its most raucous moments “Take Me Home Tonight,” which has only traces of “Animal House” in its DNA, remains cautiously respectful of its characters’ feelings. If their relationships don’t always make sense, the movie maintains a clear appreciation of the vulnerability beneath their bravado. And the soundtrack of ’80s hits (which doesn’t include Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight”) does a lot of the work.

The one truly inspired comic sequence finds Barry lured midparty by a voracious older vixen (played to the hilt by Angie Everhart) into a kinky coke-fueled bathroom three-way with her smirking leather-clad companion (Clement von Franckenstein). It is the film’s only moment to qualify as dangerously funny.

“Take Me Home Tonight.” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has abundant profanity and nudity.

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by Michael Dowse; written by Mr. Dowse, Jackie Filgo and Jeff Filgo, based on a story by Mr. Dowse and Gordon Kaywin; director of photography, Terry Stacey; edited by Lee Haxall; music by Trevor Horn; production design by William Arnold; costumes by Carol Oditz; produced by Ryan Kavanaugh, Jim Whitaker and Sarah Bowen; released by Relativity Media. Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes.

WITH: Topher Grace (Matt Franklin), Teresa Palmer (Tori Frederking), Anna Faris (Wendy Franklin), Dan Fogler (Barry Nathan), Chris Pratt (Kyle Masterson), Michael Connell Biehn (Bill Franklin), Michael Ian Black (Pete), Michelle Trachtenberg (Kitchelle) and Demetri Martin (Carlos), Angie Everhart (Trish Anderson) and Clement von Franckenstein (Frances Triebverbrecher).

Suggestions

Review: take me home tonight.

Take Me Home Tonight is too invested in the diminishing laughs to be found in juvenile behavior.

Though by no means a recent phenomenon, the 1980s continue to hold enormous sway over the imaginations of contemporary filmmakers, many of whom grew up during that decade. Whether directors are setting their movies in the age of Reagan ( Adventureland ), reviving the era’s television staples ( The A-Team ), or channeling its excesses for parodic effect ( MacGruber ), the 1980s have become the go-to period for moviemakers looking to cash in on a seemingly inexhaustible nostalgia for all things 25 years out-of-date. Replacing former It decades the ’50s (surface normality simmering with sinister undercurrents) and ’60s (hippies, drugs, Vietnam), the ’80s contain a treasure trove of synth-pop jukebox hits and now laughable fashions ripe for audience fetishization even as the viewer is invited to feel a sense of superiority to the era’s popular culture.

Such is certainly the case with Skateland , one of two recent coming-of-age tales set in the ’80s about driftless boys on the cusp of adulthood and still living with their parents. The other, Michael Dowse’s Take Me Home Tonight is by far the less nostalgic of the two and easily the more entertaining, partly because it confines the culture referencing largely to the music (and instead of giving us endless recitatives of “Electric Avenue,” it offers up such gems as “Straight Outta Compton” and “Bette Davis Eyes”) and partly because it doesn’t aim to eulogize a whole era without explaining what that era is supposed to mean. Which is to say it takes itself a good deal less seriously than Anthony Burns’s dreary film, even if it’s finally just as beholden to the initiation-into-manhood/rom-com boilerplate.

Topher Grace stars as recent MIT grad Matt Franklin, a man undecided as to career path and temporarily employed at a mall video store, a subject of endless consternation for his parents. Taking place over one long night, the film follows good-guy Matt, his sister Wendy (Anna Faris, playing against type as a smartie), and his foul-mouthed BFF Barry (Dan Fogler) as they attend two parties, snort a not inconsiderable amount of blow, and pursue romantic fulfillment. In Matt’s case, this path to happiness means wooing his high school crush, Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer, a Kristen Stewart lookalike) by pretending to be in the same line of work as her—Investment banking, the go-to job in the go-go ’80s—before winning her over with his charms.

But lies never make a good basis for a relationship as Matt soon finds out when his pursuit of Tori conforms rather dispiritingly to the expected success-under-false-premises/confession-of-truth/female-indignation narrative. Basically, Take Me Home Tonight is a half-cocked film about characters realizing their adulthood, buried under layers of raunchy, good-time humor. (In addition to Matt’s through line, Wendy finally grasps what’s completely obvious to everyone at first glance—that her parodically sketched frat-boy boyfriend is an idiot, while Barry’s debauch ends with him considering applying to college.)

These, however, are all revelations that the film treats halfheartedly; essentially this is a movie where boys get to have their fun and then suddenly emerge as men, complete with life lessons and hot girlfriends. (In Matt’s case, the emergence is near-literal, as he exits a symbolic womb after a frattish antic gone wrong.) Not that the journey isn’t occasionally fun while it lasts: Comic highlights include Matt’s dressing down of Tori’s sexist boss at the latter’s posh Beverly Hills mansion and the all too fleeting appearances of the criminally underused Demetri Martin. But ultimately, Take Me Home Tonight is too invested in the diminishing laughs to be found in juvenile behavior—mirrored by the regressiveness of its fondly remembered 1980s setting—to be anything more than another forgettable entry in the already overfilled ranks of middling boys-will-be-boys rib-ticklers.

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In the tradition of "American Graffiti" and "Dazed and Confused" comes the new '80s comedy " Take Me Home Tonight ." While the movie is not quite as good as it's predecessors it does capture the decade in a very funny way, much like the previously mentioned films did with the '50s and '70s. The film benefits from its hard R-rating, which allows it to use many cocaine references. The '80s references would grow old quickly if wasn't for the strong characters and performances in the film. The characters and their situations are so relatable that we are willing to go on the journey with them, even though we've seen these situations before. Ultimately, the movie possesses several laugh-out-loud moments and overall is definitely an entertaining film.

In the film, the year is 1988 and Topher Grace plays recent college graduate Matt Franklin. Matt is extremely smart and went to MIT, but upon graduating moved back home with his parents and instead of pursing his career is underachieving as a video store clerk. Since high school Matt has been obsessed with Tori Fredreking (Teresa Palmer), a beautiful and successful college graduate that he thinks is way out of his league. One day, Tori walks into Matt's video store and he decides that this is finally his moment. Matt pretends that he doesn't work in the store and re-introduces himself to Tori as a successful college graduate working in a financial firm. They make plans to meet up later at his twin sister Wendy's (Anna Faris) boyfriend's (Chris Pratt) annual Labor Day party.

Meanwhile, Matt's best friend, Barry (Dan Folger), has been fired from his job as a car salesman and isn't taking it well. Barry convinces Matt to help him steal a car from his former-employers in order to take to the party so that Matt can impress Tori and continue his lie. Along the way Barry finds some hidden cocaine in the car, which leads him into all kinds of trouble, especially with an older woman and a man who likes to "watch." Wendy confides in her brother that she has applied to graduate school in England but is reluctant to leave her townie boyfriend. Eventually, Matt begins to impress Tori but as he does his lies get bigger and bigger. As Tori and Matt begin to fall in love, the question remains: will she still love him when she finds out the truth? As the party, and the evening goes on, Matt must finally decide what he really wants from life and must perform some desperate measures in order to achieve his goals.

Topher Grace co-created the story and the film is definitely worth watching. The characters are well defined and strongly interpreted by the fine comedic actors in the movie. Grace is likable in the role and as funny and witty as ever. Teresa Palmer works well in her role as "the love interest" and is believable as the object of Grace's affections. Faris and Pratt are good in their roles too, unfortunately they are somewhat shortchanged by the script as I would have liked to see them included more in the film. Actor Michael Biehn is great in his couple of scenes as Matt's hard-ass, policeman father. But most of the funniest moments in the film belong to actor Dan Fogler. The man is on fire in this movie and in a very "Belushi" way makes the best of every scene he is in.

Much has been said about the film's drug content, which is what delayed its initial release and I can see what had producers concerned. I for one found the "coke jokes" to be some of the funnier moments in the film, but at the same time I was bothered that there were ultimately no consequences to the character's behavior. It gives a "pro-drug-abuse" message, which was probably not the filmmaker's intent. I also thought Matt's final resolution was a little anti-climatic and vague at best. The film probably could have benefited from a more experienced comedic director but the clever premise, funny moments, likable characters, and strong performances save the film. Editor Lee Haxell ("Meet The Fockers") deserves credit for the movie's great tone and comedic pace. In the end, Take Me Home Tonight is not that different from other "decade party" films that we've seen before but it is really, really funny and entertaining. If you love comedies, party movies and the '80s, then you will like this film.

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Take Me Home Tonight Reviews

• 42   Metascore
• 1 hr 37 mins
• Drama, Comedy
• Watchlist Where to Watch

In this hilarious and nostalgic comedy, aimless MIT graduate Matt Franklin (Topher Grace) sends out the '80s with a bang after being invited to an end-of-summer bash by Tori Frederking, his former high-school crush. Meanwhile, Matt's sarcastic twin sister Wendy urges him to get his life together, and his best friend Barry displays a wild streak the size of the Mississippi River.

Gen-Xers will immediately peg Michael Dowse’s limp comedy Take Me Home Tonight as a lame attempt to cash in on nostalgia -- they’ll see it as a fourth-rate Wedding Singer. Gen Y will think the same movie is a feeble copy of the current king of movie comedy, Judd Apatow -- they’ll see it as a fourth-rate Superbad. The sad part is, they’ll all be right. It’s the late ’80s, and floundering MIT grad Matt (Topher Grace), unsure what to do with his life, works at Suncoast Video when his high-school crush, Tori (Teresa Palmer), walks into the store. He pretends to be another customer, chats her up, and learns she works for a financial institution -- prompting him to lie and say he works at Goldman Sachs. She invites him to a huge party that night featuring seemingly everyone they ever went to high school with, and he goes along with his engaged twin sister, Wendy (a criminally underutilized Anna Faris) -- whose fiance is hosting the event -- and his best friend, Barry (Dan Fogler), an obnoxious, horny fat guy who during the course of the night gets his hands on some quality cocaine. Over the next 12 hours, Matt steals a car, tries to win Tori’s heart, gets confronted by his cop dad about his future, and hears pretty much every overplayed ’80s tune you can think of. The only person who survives this tired retread of Reagan-era references is comic Demetri Martin as a parapalegic high-school friend of Matt’s who’s become a financial whiz. He shows up for two scenes, and for those brief minutes the film takes on an actual comic sensibility -- his sharp one-liners cut through the layers of calculated pandering and labored gross-out gags to score the movie’s only laughs. Grace and Palmer have chemistry in the few quiet scenes they share -- a car ride where she knows he’s staring at her even when she’s not looking at him has a gentle playfulness that you wish the rest of the film would emulate. But instead, we get the high-octane antics of Barry, whom Folgler plays in a way that fuses the intensity of both Jonah Hill and Sam Kinison. He’s such an unlikable, grating character that we just hope he’ll OD early on at the party and we won’t have to see him anymore. If you’re aiming for a sweeping generational statement, there are two ways to go. On the one hand, you can try to capture the zeitgeist as it’s happening -- think Reality Bites or the classic John Hughes movies. The other choice is to look back a decade or two and try to sum up where we were -- see American Graffiti or Dazed and Confused. Take Me Home Tonight wants to be like a classic Brat Pack flick, but it makes the mistake of playing up to Gen-X nostalgia rather than creating memorable or original characters.

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Take Me Home Tonight Reviews

"Take Me Home Tonight" isn't anything original. However, that doesn't stop the movie from having some big laughs and a certain charm that does actually make you nostalgic for this kind of film.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Jul 13, 2020

This unfunny comedy isn't worth leaving home for.

Full Review | Original Score: 0.5/5 | Jun 30, 2013

Just a standard, dull pseudo-teen comedy that just happens to take place in the '80s.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Jun 23, 2013

Ten years too late -- for the movie, the actors playing the roles in the movie. It's "Hot Tub Time Machine" without the time machine or the hot tub. Or the fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jan 17, 2013

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Feb 18, 2012

Take Me Home Tonight is a much deeper, dramatic movie than most give it credit for. And it's also a hoot, too - largely thanks to Dan Fogler and the amusing cameo appearances.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jan 29, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Sep 17, 2011

Pap in service of wistfulness about a time period now thoroughly mocked to death.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Sep 12, 2011

This 80s-nostalgic comedy relies too much on its big hair and bright clothes and not enough on getting inside the head of its characters.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 9, 2011

As enjoyable as the soundtrack and general nostalgia of this film is, it just doesn't rise above wannabe status.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 23, 2011

...a better-than-expected bit of '80s nostalgia...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 26, 2011

A tonally uneasy mish-mash of stale slapstick and naïve representations of drug use.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 14, 2011

Eddie Money deserves better than this.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jun 3, 2011

[Director] Dowse's film is so formula that it is aimlessly predictable...

Full Review | Jun 2, 2011

Grace is particularly wet, lacking the charisma or the charm to pull off the shy nerd-at-heart routine needed to convince you he could actually win the girl of his dreams.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 16, 2011

Not a journey to the end of the night that I'd recommend.

Full Review | May 15, 2011

This 1980s-set comedy was shot in 2007 and has been sitting on the shelf ever since. The damn thing's so old it's almost retro twice over.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 14, 2011

So bad, it's almost good... if certainly not great.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 13, 2011

80s nostalgia as a thing is so ten years ago... just about the time that the 33-year-old Topher Grace would have been the right age to play [this] just-out-of-college, I-dunno-what-to-do-with-myself whiner...

Full Review | May 13, 2011

It's a dispiriting mess throughout.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | May 13, 2011

Take Me Home Tonight (2011)

Directed by michael dowse.

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Description by Wikipedia

Take Me Home Tonight is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Michael Dowse and starring an ensemble cast led by Topher Grace and Anna Faris. The screenplay was written by Jackie and Jeff Filgo, former writers of the television sitcom That '70s Show, of which Grace was a cast member. The film follows a recent college graduate who wants to change his career plans after his old high school crush invites him to a party. It was released to mixed to negative reviews and was a box office bomb.

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Do you remember the 80s?  Of course you do.  Everyone remembers the 80s even if you didn't live through them.  It was pop-art made flesh and then made neon.  There were bright colors, exuberant clothes, and if your song didn't feature at least one synthesizer, then it wasn't worth listening to it.  We've been to the 80s and it's tough to find a reason to go back.  Take Me Home Tonight certainly can't find one and it drowns its affable leads and their charming performances in a sea of nostalgia and iconography.

Matt (Topher Grace) is a recent MIT grad who is wasting away his mathematical genius at the local Suncoast Video Store.  While he's pondering his meaningless existence, his high-school crush Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer) walks in to the store, and Matt hides the fact that he works there.  He lies to Tori by telling her he works at Goldman Sachs, and she invites him to a party that night.  Matt sees this as his big chance and brings along his twin sister Wendy (Anna Faris) and best friend Barry (Dan Fogler) as back-up.  But both Wendy and Barry have their own drama.  Wendy wants to study creative writing at Cambridge but is afraid her dim bulb boyfriend Kyle (Chris Pratt) won't be supportive, and Barry, after being laid off from his long-time job at a car dealership, wants the college experience he never had.  Matt, Wendy, and Barry head to the party looking to have a good time and end up having life-changing revelations through their night of revelry.

All of the characters in Take Me Home Tonight are likable.  They're funny, they get some sharp lines of dialogue, and their problems feel real.  Even supporting characters like Kyle or Matt's paraplegic classmate Carlos (Demetri Martin) get a chance to shine.  Most importantly, there's chemistry between all of the leads, and it's crucial to make the relationship between Matt and Tori work.  You feel that Matt actually comes alive and is a better person when he's with her and Palmer makes Tori more than just "The Love Interest".  Fogler is, as always, outstanding and I remain convinced that he's destined to be a major star.

But all of this charm is no match for the unanswerable question: Why is this movie set in the 1980s?  When I interviewed Topher Grace a couple weeks ago, he said that their intent was to make a movie that wasn't a parody and recalled the way movies like Dazed and Confused and American Graffiti simply exist in a time period rather than constantly call attention to it.  It doesn't look like director Michael Dowse got that message.  Every song in the movie is an 80s hit and most of the costumes scream "Can you believe people wore that?!".  The movie revels in its aesthetic, but never justifies its existence.  More than anything, the 80s setting simply provides a distraction.

With the 80s candy coating not making the movie any sweeter, the film's other flaws begin to show.  The pacing is slow and when the flick slams into the third act and has to develop the more dramatic material for Matt and Wendy, it doesn't realize that Barry's storyline is crucial to keeping the energy of the film alive.  Furthermore, the story spreads itself so thin that Wendy's storyline feels simplistic and underserved when compared to Matt's coming-of-age conflict and Barry's cocaine-fueled shenanigans.

The cast of Take Me Home Tonight do their best to keep the movie afloat in the raging seas of 80s nostalgia.  The actors play well off each other, understand their characters, and have solid comic timing.  But rather than let these characters breathe and emote in a movie that happens to take place in the 80s, the characters of Take Me Home Tonight are always overshadowed by the fact that they're in an 80s movie.

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Take Me Home Tonight

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Product Description

A talented ensemble cast delivers laugh-out-loud performances in this “fun nostalgia trip.” (Richard Roeper) When Matt Franklin's (Topher Grace) high-school crush Tori (Teresa Palmer) shows up at his dead-end mall job, he and his buddy Barry (Dan Fogler) devise a wild scheme for Matt to finally win the girl of his dreams. But only time will tell if Matt can seduce this gorgeous goddess at a wild party and survive an outrageous night of seduction, destruction and debauchery. Take this hilarious comedy home tonight!

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.40:1
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.6 x 5.3 x 7.5 inches; 2.56 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ FOXS2275987DVD
• Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Dowse
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 38 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2011
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Teresa Palmer, Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, Dan Fogler, Topher Grace
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ French, English, Spanish
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Jim Whitaker, Ryan Kavanaugh, Sarah Bowen, Stanley Donen
• Studio ‏ : ‎ 20th Century Fox
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0051MKNRC
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #4,235 in Comedy (Movies & TV)

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Take me home tonight: film review.

Topher Grace and Dan Fogler star in Michael Dowse's aggressively unfunny film which seeks the lowest common denominator in nearly every scene.

By Kirk Honeycutt

Kirk Honeycutt

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TOPHER GRACE stars in Relativity Media's. TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT.

Flailing away beneath a pile-on of failed slapstick, dead-weight jokes, hammy acting and bad writing rests a tiny, possibly even intriguing comedy in Take Me Home Tonight   about young people struggling to grasp a future they’re not certain they even want. This slip of a story never stands a chance of emerging though as director Michael Dowse ’s aggressive approach to comedy utterly buries it.

Seeking the lowest common denominator in every scene during the first and much of the second act, the movie rams its idea of madcap comedy at a viewer until numbness sets in. So when a tentative relationship between a guy at loose ends and the girl he carried a torch for during high school starts to surface, you barely notice.

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Trailers and posters that emphasize the bacchanalian overload of a late’80s-era party may entice younger viewers. Otherwise this is a DVD few will want to take home tonight or any night.

The film’s star, Topher Grace , has been a friend of fellow exec producer Gordon Kaywin since age 15. The two say they wanted to develop a comedy based on a longtime male friendship where high school and even college are very much in the rear-view mirror. But the first problem one notices in this script by That ’70s Show vets Jackie and  Jeff Filgo , written to their exec producers’ specifications, is that the movie’s key friendship makes no sense.

Sure, Grace’s Matt Franklin, is momentarily directionless despite an engineering degree from MIT. But Dan Fogler ’s Barry, a car salesman and a fired one at that, is an emotional adolescent. Now you could do a movie about two guys with nothing in common other than a shared high-school past but this movie isn’t that smart — it keeps insisting a strong bond exists between these two despite the fact nothing in the movie validates such a notion.

Matt is a cop’s son, which doesn’t mean he needs to be a Boy Scout. But would he really accompany a “friend” who steals a car, drives under the influence of many substances, starts fights at a party, then crashes that stolen car while sampling the coke he finds in the glove compartment?

This friendship makes no more sense than the movie’s main set-up that Matt, a good looking guy with plenty of brains — if that MIT degree means anything — couldn’t/wouldn’t get a date with former high school hottie Tori ( Teresa Palmer ). Or that Matt’s equally smart twin sister Wendy ( Anna Faris ) would even think  of accepting a marriage proposal from a thick-headed party boy ( Chris Pratt ).

All this dithering by seemingly smart people goes without a real motivation. It isn’t as if the engineer suddenly wants to join a rock band or the Peace Corp or an ashram. According to the screenplay, he is simply hiding from life by working in a video store and has absolutely no idea what he wants to do with that life. Really? Not even a dream?

He and Tori only link up when she realizes she is as lost and miserable as Matt — they have that in common at least — just as Barry finds a soul mate in Kitchelle ( Michelle Trachtenberg ), whose youthful nihilism jibes with Barry’s self-destructive urges. However, not before Barry has a bizarre encounter with a kinky sexual predator ( Angie Everhart ) that belongs in a much different movie.

You’d give none of these “relationships” more than another 24 hours — max.

Indeed when dawn breaks and so does a party in a Hollywood Hillside retreat, you wonder what if anything has been resolved or learned. Matt is no closer to any of life’s goals, Barry is still without a job — nor can you imagine anyone hiring him — and Tori may want to remember the number of lies Matt told to score with her. You wind up thinking that maybe the movie about the sexual predator would’ve been the better one, after all. At least she knew what she wanted.

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