Tales of young adults stuck in transitional purgatory, unsure of what to do with their lives after their studies are done, have become fodder for the indie drama. Maybe they’re searching for their life’s passion or “figuring some stuff out”, but very often the story follows a timid or softspoken guy, a livewire girlfriend, and a few quirky friends with peculiar personalities. Answer This! follows that formula to the letter, adding a plot about fascination with trivia to distract during the second act, only to focus on the mid-life crisis once again to offer some sort of cohesive narrative. The talented cast of Christopher Gorham, Nelson Franklin, and Arielle Kebbel, makes it an easy little film to watch, but all in all there’s nothing setting it apart from every other film like it.
Paul Tarson (Gorham) has hit a snag in the completion of his dissertation: writer’s block; his hobby of trivia, however, continues unabated. Every day, Paul and his best friend (Franklin) assemble to hone their knowledge of informational minutiae in order to win an upcoming pub trivia contest. That quest, along with a blossoming romance with a freshman student (Kebbel) in the class where Paul works as a TA, begin to make Paul doubt his devotion to a lifetime spent as a teacher, and the crisis of identity comes to a head just as Paul learns he’ll be forced to graduate with his doctorate by the end of the semester.
DVD Bonus Features
An audio commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a tribute to Ann Arbor, Michigan (where the film is set and filmed) make up the discs most interesting extras, and a collection of deleted scenes and outtakes close out the disc.
"Answer This!" is on sale January 10, 2012 and is rated R. Comedy. Written and directed by Christopher Farah. Starring Arielle Kebbel, Christopher Gorham, Kip Pardue, Evan Jones, Chris Parnell, Nelson Franklin.
