Released to theaters on Jan. 31, 2014, “That Awkward Moment” is a romantic comedy directed by Tom Gormican. This is Gormican’s first attempt at writing and directing a movie, and for this film he chose a cast full of attractive young men. With young actors such as Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, the movie has a variety of personalities for viewers to either relate to or fall in love with. “That Awkward Moment” is a classic bromance film that focuses on the adventures of three single, or almost-single, men in New York City.
This flick has been called a male version of “Sex in the City,” and this is because of the dynamic relationship between the three male characters and the setting in modern-day Manhattan. Efron, who made his name with his work in “High School Musical,” plays the main character, Jason. Jason is a young 20-something who is all about having fun. He is not in the dating game for love. He simply wants to hook up, have a good time and move on. The same goes for Daniel, which is played by Miles Teller. Teller is most recognized for his roles in “Rabbit Hole” and “21 & Over.” However, this sentiment does not hold true for the third man of the group, Mikey. Mikey is played by Michael B. Jordan, who is famous for his roles in “Friday Night Lights” and “The Wire.”
After Mikey discovers that his wife is cheating on him and that she wants a divorce, all three men vow to stay single in his support and play the field, so to speak. Of course to them, playing the field involves a lot of uncommitted dating and meaningless hook ups. The “awkward moment” to which the title refers is the moment when each of the women in their flings asks where the relationship is going and if they actually have a future together. This premise is something that every viewer can relate to, as this is something that every new relationship goes through. The three friends set rules, such as not seeing a girl more than twice in one week, to keep themselves on the track of bachelorhood. Unfortunately, throughout the course of the movie, everything does not go as planned and the men have trouble holding true to their pact.
Mikey is heartbroken about the demise of this marriage, which is evident to the entire cast. While he tries to soothe himself with ice cream and self-pity, his friends insist he get back in the game to get his mind off of the trouble in his life. While this is a fine sentiment, the truth is that Mikey longs to win his wife back, no matter how bad of an idea it is. He is not the only character to find himself stuck on a girl, though. In fact, all three of the men fall for a woman at some point during “That Awkward Moment.” Efron’s character meets a girl named Ellie at a bar, and he falls in love with her. At the same time, Daniel’s “just friends” relationship with a girl he has known for quite some time takes a romantic turn, putting him in the midst of a real relationship.
Throughout the movie, immature comedy keeps movie viewers chuckling. The jokes and implied scenarios are not likely to go over anyone’s head, which makes this film perfect for pure entertainment. Awkward scenes, such as when Jason shows up at his love interest’s family dress-up party in an extremely inappropriate costume, make watchers cringe, but in the best way possible. Mikey is perhaps the driest of all of the characters, but he finds himself in some sticky situations as well, which provide a great laugh all around. The men in this movie are immature and often practice selfish behavior, but their actions and lines make this movie well worth watching. Do not worry about being exposed to vast amounts of sex while watching this movie, as there is actually very little.
Navigating the dating world and the arena of love is never easy, and the characters in “That Awkward Moment” portray this in a realistic fashion. Each character has his own quirks that makes viewers love him or hate him, depending on how they look at the situations in which he finds himself and the way he reacts. However, this movie is indisputably entertaining and includes humor from many angles. Whether the movie-goer is a fan of watching awkward situations unfold, new love begin or funny, well-timed lines, “That Awkward Moment” has something for everyone.