Column:

'Box Elder' proves funny in its own right

By Thomas Leonard

Published Nov. 3, 2009

Back in 2007, a group of former MU students armed with a shoestring budget and modest resources set out to make the ultimate dude movie. The result, "Box Elder," is a sidesplitting love letter to college that just might bust your gut. It's become a Columbia staple, inspiring numerous "stache-bashes" and Sub Shop visits, but does it live up to the local hype?

The answer is a resounding yes. Strip away all hometown biases and "Box Elder" stands tall on its own, thanks to director Todd Sklar's flawless reconstruction of the Solo cup parties, landlord woes and early-onset quarterlife crises which plague the average American college student. Most importantly, it's just damn funny.

"Box Elder" tells the story of four friends. Beginning with snippets of their freshman and sophomore years of college, it takes place largely in their final months before graduation. In the face of their impending plunge into the "real world," the young men can do nothing but laugh. Sklar has taken a page from Judd Apatow and captured a pitch-perfect image of the great American slacker.

But unlike Apatow's plot heavy contrivances, "Box Elder" never really goes anywhere. Instead, there's a string of vignette-like scenes that only loosely move the story along. In any other movie, this could drive a person crazy. But it never tires in "Box Elder" thanks to the razor sharp writing and hilarious back-and-forth dialogue. The cast of newcomers, made up almost entirely of MU students, rises to the challenge and gives convincing and sympathetic performances.

This comfort and familiarity is what makes "Box Elder" such a must-see film for students in Columbia. Sklar has captured the spirit of the town so perfectly, "Box Elder" becomes a kind of living postcard. Besides the immediate recognition of the Lowry Mall location shots or the Broadway Diner dinners, there is an inevitable identification with the "what happens now" questions about life after college.

That's the charm of this movie. Instead of tackling these questions with blatant clichés (à la this year's "Post Grad"), "Box Elder" doesn't have to say it outright. You get so lost in these listless couch potatoes' babble you can't help but be scared about how they'll make it on their own.

Of course, these worries stay subtle and Sklar never compromises the laughs. Combining the painfully awkward humor of "The Office" and the sight gags of slapstick, "Box Elder" rests comfortably in its own realm of funny. Almost every joke is painfully real and thus all the more enjoyable. Slacker Alex's (Alex Rennie) bumbling interactions with women (he runs into a lady friend after student charging a Penthouse Magazine at the bookstore) are so sincere you almost feel bad laughing.

But that's what makes "Box Elder" so much fun. Its tight budget and modest beginnings make it all the more loveable, as it becomes honest and believable. Its fresh humor feels like the new frontier of college comedy. It's a must-see movie for college students everywhere, but practically mandatory for those at MU. If you haven't seen what all the fuss is about, catch it this Thursday at Ragtag Cinema.