昨日、息子のバッティング練習に付き合ったとき、張り切りすぎたかな。右肩が痛い。やっぱり、素人でも（素人こそ？）肩のケアは大切なのだろう。
そんなことを考えてみたら、映画『がんばれベアーズ（The Bad News Bears）』で、テイタム・オニール演じるアマンダが、ベンチで右ひじを冷やしている場面を思い出した。
同作の公開は、1976年。当時、日本ではまだアイシングは一般的ではなかったではないかな。むしろ、肩やひじは投球後も冷やしてはいけないというのが、日本で常識だったのではないだろうか。おそるべし、アメリカ野球。
長く野球を楽しむため、僕も肩を大事にしようと思った。
I like The Bikeriders. I feel compelled to start this review with that statement because I’m unsure how clear that will be by the end of it. I tend to be more lenient with good movies that feel like they maxed out on their potential than ones that could have been, or perhaps in moments were, great. The former are what they are, and offer what they offer. The latter are so wrapped up in their potential that the process of disentangling them can resemble the five stages of grief. So, out of fairness, I’m starting with acceptance.
The Bikeriders was adapted by writer-director Jeff Nichols from a book of photography of the same name by Danny Lyon, a fact that is the source of many strengths and weaknesses. The movie’s story is fictional, though some of its characters are real, inspired by the interviews included in the book. Lyon himself is a character (Mike Faist), appearing throughout to gather material on this biker subculture in 1960s Chicago.
But the narrative’s interest is mostly split between three others in The Bikeriders cast. Kathy (Jodie Comer), practically our narrator, finds herself intertwined with the Vandals motorcycle club when she falls hard for Benny (Austin Butler), one of its members. From the way she tells it, and the way Comer and Butler perform it as she recollects, it’s easy to see why. Kathy was repelled by just about everyone else in the Vandals’ bar that night, but she could see right away that Benny was the genuine article. One impish smile during Lyon’s interview, and we understand perfectly who she is.
But Benny is that person they aspire to be. He lives for the freedom of riding on an open highway, and chooses violence over dishonor without hesitation. He’s as fiercely loyal as someone can be while still seeming like he could pick up and leave the moment he feels too tied down. As the film progresses, Nichols makes him the dramatic lynchpin, with Kathy and Johnny trying to influence him at opposite ends. This, for me, was a miscalculation.
Butler is pure magnetism in this film. His roles this year share a certain mythic quality, as if the one guaranteed response to his screen presence is to be awestruck, whether from admiration (Masters of the Air) or repulsion (Dune: Part 2). In the early scenes of The Bikeriders, which are alive and engrossing, he’s mostly asked just to be on camera, and his energy imbues the film with an ease of purpose.
For a while, everything feels in step with him. Nichols takes us into this world as a sort of observer, capturing this time and place and way of being like Lyon did. The bikers are frequently arranged in photographic tableaux that take advantage of Adam Stone’s beautiful cinematography. There’s an emphasis on the sensory experience of their lifestyle, both diegetically, through Lyon’s interviews, and in the deployment of things like sound design. Supporting performances pop repeatedly, Michael Shannon and Norman Reedus especially.
But, gradually, everything becomes burdened with story. The more the triangle of Kathy, Benny, and Johnny is played up for drama, the less interesting it becomes. It makes for an interesting paradox in the approach to adaptation. A photobook perhaps isn’t the most natural material for a feature film, and Nichols clearly attempted to use it as a springboard for something more movie-esque. But I was most engaged when The Bikeriders embraced the awkward fit. My investment came from wanting to understand these characters, not from a need to know what happened to them next.
After this movie’s premiere at Telluride last year, Goodfellas was floated as a clear touchstone, and there’s truth to that in my experience. Given the criminality at play, perhaps that vision is understandable. But many of the moments that work best feel more in the vein of Dazed and Confused. In the former film, everything is inflated to the level of the capital-C Cinematic (with the narrating protagonist arguably doing the inflating); in the latter, the characters and their lives are captured as if they already are.
These two impulses are at war in The Bikeriders, and plague it with inconsistency. I wish it had committed to making the small things feel big, instead of trying to make big things that ended up feeling small. But that’s too harsh a statement for something that, for a time, felt like I was watching one of my favorite movies of the year so far. Such is the difficulty of reviewing something I like, but am frustratingly unable to love.
A love triangle drives much of the plot. Teens make out, and students are shown in a sex education class with “condoms” and “safe sex” written on the chalkboard. Teen boys are shown shirtless in a few scenes, and one raps about his skills “under the sheets.” Teen girls wear short skirts/shorts, low-cut shirts, and crop tops; bras and cleavage are seen. There’s a number about dressing sexy on Halloween that includes lots of skimpy costumes; the Plastics’ talent show performance is also suggestive. Sexual gyrations for comic effect and references to having sex. Physical beauty is shown to be important to romantic connections; Regina, in particular, is shot with camera angles and wind to highlight that she’s “sexy.” Some characters run their hands over their breasts. Karen’s number of sex partners is mentioned more than once, sometimes in an attempt to make her feel bad. It’s mentioned that a girl is “crotch sitting” with a boy (i.e., she’s in front of him on a bench, with his legs around her as he sits above).
Teens do shots and drink in party scenes, and Cady gets drunk. References to vaping, and jokes about heroin and a vodka-filled inhaler. A character recovering from a painful injury seems to be blissed out on her medication, which becomes a recurring joke. An adult drinks wine.
A key character is hit by a bus, but it happens so quickly that it’s not really seen. Exaggerated fistfights break out in high school hallways, choreographed like a dance number. As the title indicates, there’s quite a bit of mean behavior, even between “friends.” Some online cruelty/bullying.
Having integrity and being yourself will bring you more happiness than trying to be someone else just to please others. Mean-spirited gossip hurts others and is likely to come back around and hurt the instigator. Putting others down may make someone feel temporarily superior, but “calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter.” Women should be looking for opportunities to support one other, not diminish one another. Social media can turn someone into a hero or a pariah in moments.
Cady is smart and empathetic. She starts to lose those qualities when her social status rises, but she eventually rediscovers her integrity and her true self. Janis is an artist with a strong sense of self and style, but she uses Cady as a tool for revenge. Regina is frequently cruel but also has moments of vulnerability and proves capable of change. Gretchen, used to being belittled, eventually stands up for herself and acknowledges her worth. Adults are caring but largely hands-off (or overly involved in a cringey way).
This version of suburban Illinois’ North Shore High is diverse in terms of students’ and staff members’ ethnicity, body type, sexual identity. Some students are still mocked for what makes them different (e.g., a gay character is called a “pyro lez”), but this is acknowledged to be wrong/problematic. Main characters Cady and Regina are White, as is central teacher Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey), but other characters represent a wider spectrum. Janis (played by Auli’i Cravalho, who has Hawaiian, Puerto Rican, Portuguese, Irish, and Chinese heritage) is a lesbian. Damien (Jaquel Spivey) is a big, gay Black man. Gretchen (Bebe Wood) mentions having an abuelita, and Karen is played by Indian American actor Avantika. Mathlete Kevin counters stereotypes somewhat by being an overly confident “nerd” (played by Bengali actor Mahi Alam). Regina gets in a traffic accident; she wears a neck brace for several scenes, some of which are played for humor. Movie was written by Fey and co-directed by Samantha Jayne, a White British woman, and Mexican filmmaker Arturo Perez Jr. Relationships between female characters are at the heart of the story, with teen girls caught up in stereotypes and cliquish behavior but (hopefully) learning the importance of supporting rather than diminishing one another.
Put your worries aside: The Mean Girls musical slaps. It’s hard to believe anyone wouldn’t have a good time watching this tuneful, somewhat campy reimagining of Tina Fey’s early 2000s hit. Given that the original film was enjoyed by many of 2024’s parents when they were young, this version offers them a laugh-out-loud arm squeeze that they can squeal over right alongside their teens.
Compare the musical adaptation to the original: What changes do you spot besides the music? Why do you think those adjustments were made? What feature film do you think would make a great musical? Why?
Why is “the love triangle” a popular story element? Why do you think female friends fighting over a guy is considered a negative stereotype? What’s the impact when entertainment depicts a certain group of people behaving in the same way over and over again?
Research shows a connection between kids’ healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That’s why we’ve added a new “Diverse Representations” section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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