Institute History
Description
Written and directed by Bryan Gordon, this charming coming-of-age saga features Josh Charles as Charlie Dunlop, a young man living in a small California town who’s completely obsessed with traffic: gridlock and sig alerts, routing and freeways, and, most importantly, the reports of his idol, the eye-in-the-sky traffic reporter, Davenport (John Goodman). Gordon’s sometimes quirky, but very appealing, script fashions a fresh take on a traditional story line which has Charlie facing one of those significant life choices: After graduating from high school, does he pursue his dream or take the safe route and follow in his father’s footsteps? Adding to the dilemma, Charlie falls in love with a girl from his hometown, Amy (Anne Heche), now a dancer who faces her own career choices.
The results are splendidly entertaining with fine performances, especially by newcomer Heche, who is delightful in her offbeat role, and of course by Goodman and Christine Lahti as Charlie’s amorous landlady. This is one of those films which a plot synopsis cannot really do justice to, for its strong direction and screwball comedy style transform it from mere comic absurdity to a fulfilling and romantic tale that touches anyone who has faced life’s universal predicaments. And that amounts to just about all of us.