Jonathan Kasdan’s “The First Time” is a teenage romantic comedy that is about its characters with a story that people can identify and be entertained by it. It’s a wonderful film and probably the best teenage romantic comedy I have seen in quite some time. While the DVD is a barebone release, I still recommend this film as it is a must-see, for those who enjoy teenage romantic comedies!
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DVD TITLE: The First Time
YEAR OF FILM: 2012
DURATION: 95 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: 1:85:1 – Anamorphic Widescreen, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home entertainment
RATED: PG-13 (Mature Thematic Elements Involving Teen Sexuality, Partying and Language)
RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2013
Directed by Jonathan Kasdan
Written by Jonathan Kasdan
Produced by Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer
Executive Producer: Carol Fuchs, Liah Kim
Associate Producer: O’Shea Read
Music by Alec Puro
Cinematography by Rhet W. Bear
Edited by Hugh Ross
Casting by Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt
Production Design by Keith P. Cunningham
Set Decoration by Lisa K. Sessions
Costume Design by Michele Posch
Starring:
Dylan O’Brien as Dave Hodgman
Britt Robertson as Aubrey Miller
Craig Roberts as Simon Daldry
Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Stella Hodgman
Lamarcus Tinker as Big Corporation
Christine Taylor as Aubrey’s mom
Joshua Malina as Aubrey’s Dad
Victoria Justice as Jane Harmon
James Frecheville as Ronny
Halston Sage as Brianna
Molly C. Quinn as Erica #1
Christine Quynh Nguyen as Erika #2
Dave (Dylan O’brien) is an incurable romantic in love with the hottest girl in school, Jane (Victoria Justice). Unfortunately, she only thinks of him as a friend – without benefits. Through a chance encounter, Dave meets Aubrey (Britt Robertson), an alluring girl from a nearby school, which sparks a flame that soon becomes a red-hot romance filled with all the angst, missteps and awkwardness of a first time love! Hilarious and heartwarming the first time is an unforgettable coming-of-age comedy featuring a sizzling ensemble cast.
“You dig me!”
The memorable words from filmmaker/writer/actor Jonathan Kasdan’s (“Californication”, “Dawson’s Creek”) teenage romantic comedy “The First Time”.
Starring young talents Dylan O’Brien (“Teen Wolf”, “High Road”), Britt Robertson (“Dan in Real Life”, “Scream 4”), Victoria Justice (“Victorious”, “Zoey 101”), Craig Roberts (“Submarine”, “Jayne Eyre”) and Lamarcus Tinker (“Glee”, “Friday Night Lights”, “Cougar Town”), “The First Time” would be nominated for The Grand Jury Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
And now the will be released on DVD in March 2013.
“The First Time” is a film about Dave Hodgman, a normal teenager who would like to confess his love for his best friend Jane Harmon (portrayed by Victoria Justice). While Dave is seen just as a regular “friend” by Jane, he wishes that she would stop dating bad guys and go for a good guy.
As he practices outside in an alley near a party that his friends Simon (portrayed by Craig Roberts) and football jock Big Corporation (portrayed by LaMarcus Tinker) are hanging out at, Dave is trying to come up with the right words.
That’s when another teenager named Aubrey Miller (portrayed by Britt Robertson) steps out to get some fresh air from the party and meets Dave. Aubrey is a serious and mature teen who listens to Dave, who asks her advice if certain words he wants to say to Jane is cheesy or not.   But despite attending a different high school than Dave, when she finds out that Jane has hooked up with the popular Brendan Meltzer, she is not too sure that Dave has a chance.
But as the two talk to each other, the party ends when word gets out that the police is coming.  And as both Dave and Aubrey leave the party, Dave sees Jane leaving with Brendan. Sad that she left with him, Aubrey asks Dave if he is interested in walking her home, which is not far from where they are at.
As the two walk, Dave gets to learn about Aubrey and how different she is from other teens their age. When Aubrey invites Dave to her room, he sees that she is quite mature for her age. She plays vinyl records of classics, she doesn’t like to use social media like Facebook or Twitter, she doesn’t like to see teenage public affection. She’s mature, different but to Dave, he sees her as a very cool person with a style he has never seen in his life.
Dave begins to be fascinated with Aubrey, as with Aubrey towards Dave. But Dave is pursuing Jane and Aubrey is dating an older guy named Ronny (portrayed by James Frecheville).
But because of Dave’s good nature, she asks if they can lay down on the floor and if he can hold her. Both accidentally fall asleep and the next morning, when Aubrey’s parents try to wake her up, he escapes from her bedroom door window.
Fascinated by the girl he met, he tells his buddies Simon and Big C about her, but he was unable to get her phone number. So, with the help of his friends, he’s able to get Aubrey’s number but she we will be busy going out with her boyfriend Ronny to the movies. Because Dave was planning to go with his buddies to the movies, he tells her that he’ll probably see her there.
At the movies, Dave is uncomfortable when he sees Aubrey with her boyfriend Ronny, as Aubrey also feels uncomfortable of seeing Dave with Jane. At the movies, she sees Jane holding Dave’s hands and is uncomfortable that she leaves to go out.
Dave goes to look for her and she asks Dave about Jane and he asks Aubrey about Ronny and for Dave, he’s just happy to be around Aubrey as she talks about her theories. She tells him how she wants to travel the world, after experiencing a summer in Madrid. And during the conversation, the two find themselves drawn to each other. But their time is interrupted when Ronny goes out to get her.
Dave invites both Aubrey and her boyfriend to his friend’s party and sure enough, both show up.
At the party, Ronny tries to tell the young teenagers how life as a young adult is difficult, meanwhile Aubrey goes outside and she talks to Jane. Jane talks about how wonderful Dave is as a friend and how she keeps on going for the wrong guys. But Jane talks about how great of a person Dave is and Aubrey just listens.
Meanwhile, Ronny gets a sense that Dave likes Aubrey, so he tells her that the two will be having sex tonight, in his vehicle. This upsets Dave, because he thinks Ronny is the wrong guy for Aubrey to be with.
As she comes into the house, she begins playing the piano and Dave shows up and asks her to not have sex with Ronny. She is a bit confused if she wants to give up her virginity to him but Dave tells her that he is not the guy. She should be with a guy that respects her, loves her. And Aubrey knows that the guy she likes is Dave.
He senses it because he likes her as well and he tells her “you dig me!” and as the two are about to get closer to each other, Ronny shows up and an argument ensues and both Dave and Ronny nearly come to blows. And both Aubrey and Ronny are asked to leave.
Upset that he did something so stupid with Aubrey, Jane tries to get close to Dave but Dave realizes, he’s no longer interested in her. He really likes Aubrey.
And when he drives back home, he receives a call from Aubrey to come by her house. And when he does, he finds out that she has broken up with Ronny and as the two spend time driving around with each other, as they go park and talk outside, both decide to tell each other how they feel and share a kiss.
But for these two individuals who are inexperienced and have now found love…can they make it last? And what happens when they start discussing about having sex?
VIDEO, AUDIO AND SUBTITLES:
“The First Time” is presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen and English 5.1 Dolby Digital. Picture quality for the film is very good. Lighting is well-done and for the most part, the film looks very good on DVD. Audio is good with dialogue and music being crystal clear. I detected no major problems video or audio-wise but I do wish this film was released on Blu-ray.
Subtitles are in English, English SDH and French.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“The First time” comes with no special features.
I have watched a lot of teenage romantic comedies in my lifetime and within the last decade, there have only been a handful that I can say were very good.
Having watched “The First Time”, this is probably one of the best teenage romantic comedies I have seen in the last decade!
Sure, a lot of teenage romantic comedies these days tend to have a music element tied to it. From the “Step Up” films, the “High School Musical” or many Disney features to the often banal, wealthy girl and guy from the other side of the tracks storyline.
But “The First Time” works because of its two talents, Britt Robertson and Dylan O’Brien. For anyone who grew up and attended high school and has experienced the feeling of liking someone but knowing you don’t really have a chance or even having this connection with someone but yet they are dating someone else. These feelings and emotions are what presents itself in this teenage comedy.
But its efficacy is due to the nature of the characters. Aubrey is your mature teenager who does not like to be your average teen on Facebook or Twitter, showing public affection in public. She watches foreign films, she listens to classics on vinyl, she wants to travel.
And you have Dave, the teenager who represents a lot of shy guys with no dating experience. Sure, the guy may have the hot female friend but he is more of the “brother-like” figure that listens to the girl’s problems and never looked at as a guy they want to date.
Many guys have been in the position of Dave and the feeling when the girl you like dates a guy that prefers the bad boys over the good guys.
There is wonderful chemistry between both Dylan O’Brien and Britt Robertson and their role as awkward teenagers not knowing much about love, you can’t help but root for them and hope everything works out.
And while we see the awkwardness and growing connection between both characters, it’s the depiction of what happens when they have sex for the very first time and I don’t want to ruin the film, but these are clearly experiences that some people have experienced.
This is probably one of the most captivating, witty and yet charming teenage rom com film that I have seen in a very long time. These are experiences that teens and even adults can connect with because they are real emotions and fears that many people have experienced. Finding someone they connect with as a teenager and that first time experience, how it’s presented in the film is wonderful and “The First Time” distinguishes itself from other teen romantic comedies because it’s not too banal.
I really wished this film was released on Blu-ray but on DVD, the film looks and sounds good but where are the special features? No commentary, no featurettes, nothing. For a film that I enjoyed so much, I was a bit disappointed that the DVD didn’t have any special features.
Back in the ’80s, teen films such as “Sixteen Candles” and “Pretty in Pink” won over audiences because people can connect with those films and the feeling of awkwardness but most importantly, a storyline that was entertaining, characters that people can identify with and a film that feels real.
Many teenage comedies have deviated from that and have become films that want to connect with people through music or choreography or issues that affect people today as teenage pregnancy, sickness or the usual status tends to come into play much more these days in teen romance films.
Overall, Jonathan Kasdan’s “The First Time” is a teenage romantic comedy that is about its characters with a story that people can identify and be entertained by it. It’s a wonderful film and probably the best teenage romantic comedy I have seen in quite some time. While the DVD is a barebone release, I still recommend this film as it is a must-see, for those who enjoy teenage romantic comedies!
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