"Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas"

Patrick Fugit
Olivia Wilde
Fran Kranz
John Cho
Clark Gregg
Cheryl Hines
Matthew Lillard
Reid Scott
Greg Pitts


R           80min           2006


When a sexy co-ed (Olivia Wilde) steals a book of mind-blowing theories written by brilliant but troubled college student Bickford Shmeckler (Patrick Fugit), his world is turned upside down. From the creators of American Pie, this wild rollercoaster ride to reclaim his book is an award winning clever comedy starring some of today’s hottest stars. – from the back cover

"Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas" is a funny little comedy with quirky performances. This is a film with a story that been shown before but capture me do to the “prop of the movie”, The Book. It’s an old reliable comedy end predictably more about the journey that the destination.

Throughout the movie it has the obligatory jokes, the standard comedic situations, and the plot for a teen comedy. ‘The Book’ is the comic prop of the movie. This book gave most everyone that read it the funniest reaction. It was a book that I would love to have read. What were Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas?

"Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas" is a comedy the journey more than about the destination. You know who’s it’s going to end but its everything that happens before that is interesting. Like why he gets so bent out of shape when the things in his life happen? There is so much happening within this small window of time in the lives of these characters. I think it would make a funny comedy.

I felt Fugit underplays Bickford’s troubles until you find out what they are and what caused them. Matthew Lillard plays a mentally unhinged homeless person that finds the funniest of cures when he comes to Bickford for help. John Cho and the merry band of Reality Isn’t Club are complete hilarity. Yes there are some over performances but they work in the confidences fo this film. Olivia Wilde again plays a believable smoked-out co-ed, who precipitates the drama of this story.

"Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas" is a bare DVD. It has a featurette “Living With Lew” talking about the director’s life with ALS. There is DVD-ROM content showing the ‘Dungeons and Dragons Character Sheet’. It has movie previews for “I’m Reed Fish” and “Rx”.

I give it 3/5 Gs.