What does a person do after years of disappointments, when life strays far from where they thought they would wind up? In the anti-coming of age dramedy Growing Up and Other Lies, Jake (Josh Lawson), like most people, chooses to deal by romanticizing the past. Burned-out on big city living, his long-time friends Rocks (Adam Brody), Billy (Danny Jacobs) and Gunderson (Wyatt Cenac) plan one last hurrah down memory lane the day before Jake is scheduled to leave town. By walking down the length of New York City, retracing the glory days of their youth, the guys hope to convince Jake to stay.
Emotionally and financially depleted after a failed career as an artist, Jake has decided to give up and return to Ohio to live with his ailing father. He’s had enough. Almost. When Rocks reveals that the love of Jake’s life, Tabatha (Amber Tamblyn) has recently broken up with her boyfriend, he questions his decision to leave. Could getting back together change his fate? Was that the missing ingredient all along? While the details of their relationship are sparse, it is safe to assume that theirs was a messy affair and a bone of contention for the rest of the crew.
Growing Up and Other Lies (co-written and directed by Jacobs and Darren Grodsky, Humboldt County) explores the disillusionment of reaching adulthood. Realizing that life isn’t how one thought it would be, it is time to decide whether or not to accept it, move on and make the best of it. Jake isn’t the only one idealizing the past. Rocks and Billy are also questioning the nature of their respective relationships. Rocks, awaiting the birth of his child, is trying to make it work with his girlfriend. Billy, on the other hand, wonders if his professional success has tarnished his relationship with Gunderson, who so aptly sums it all up, “the past sucked then and sucks now.”
While the film is engrossing and funny at times, Growing Up and Other Lies falls short of its promise. There are gaps in the story and unanswered questions, leaving one to guess about the significance of some of the locations. There is too much terrain covered, both literally and story-wise, weakening the overall effect. Growing Up and Other Lies does succeed, however, as a love letter to New York, friendship, and lost youth.
