Institute History
Description
The term "slacker" refers to the new generation of beatnik characters recently reported about in The New York Times. Prior to this article, however, they were identified and incorporated into a film of the same name by Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater. They are, Linklater believes, the generation that would have been aborted; it just wasn't hip at the time." Slacker, the film, depicts a day in the life of one hundred slackers; it's a cinematic hike through the events, mostly simple, mundane situations or misspent endeavors, that make up the fabric of their lives. On this journey we meet a variety of young people who share a sense of exuberance in their freedom from commitment. The film, however, is not a simple slice of life, but rather a complex interweaving of scenes from school to street, street to nightclub, person to person, and coincidence to conspiracy that transpires seamlessly in what feels like real time.
The cast is comprised primarily of real people playing themselves in fictional situations. They are witty, creative, and diverse in their ideas about life. Some pose questions that others must try to answer: about life and love and poverty and any number of other things. Energetic, they are all in search of direction, meaning, or just some way to be useful. The cast of nonprofessionals is solidly consistent.
Linklater, for his part, never lets the film falter. Despite its episodic nature, one never senses redundancy in the material. The camera sweeps from one situation to the next in a strongly choreographed performance. Slacker is a seriously ironic work from a filmmaker whose thoughts and voice are fresh.