Shortcomings
By Jeffrey M. Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Smart, mature romcom deconstruction; lots of swearing.
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Shortcomings
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What's the Story?
In SHORTCOMINGS, San Francisco East Bay couple Ben (Justin H. Min) and Miko (Ally Maki) are starting to struggle in their relationship. The cynical Ben wants to be a filmmaker but instead runs a small, struggling Berkeley art-house theater, while Miko works for an Asian American film festival. After one fight too many, Miko announces that she's taking an internship in New York and will be gone for three months. Ben sees it as an opportunity to act on his crush on the new ticket taker, Autumn (Tavi Gevinson), he's just hired. It goes badly. Then Ben's best friend, Alice (Sherry Cola), takes him to a party, where he meets Sasha (Debby Ryan). They date for a few weeks until Sasha's ex comes back into the picture. Finally, Alice announces that she's going to New York to find herself. With nothing left to lose, Ben meets her there, only to find out that Miko has begun seeing someone. Ben starts to lose it, alienating everyone around him and blaming everyone but himself.
Is It Any Good?
A smart, movie-savvy deconstruction of the romantic comedy genre—as well as a commentary on diversity and stereotypes—this is a sharp, surprising, and most welcome achievement. The feature directing debut of Randall Park (based on a graphic novel by Adrian Tomine), Shortcomings begins with an argument over a Crazy Rich Asians-like movie (of which we see only the ending) about whether it's a banal formula movie or a groundbreaking, diverse work. Ben argues that he'd like to see more "real" characters, like himself. The characters working at the movie theater provide more movie-talk and more perspective. There's even a line about running through the city to do one last grand gesture to win back "the girl."
Shortcomings asks complex questions about representation, including about how Asian Americans view one another in various ways, especially if White people are also in the mix. The real challenge is that the movie asks us to stick by Ben, who, as Miko points out, is angry, depressed, relentlessly negative, and filled with self-hatred. But he still has depth and agency, and we can feel his highs and lows, his pain, and his realization. Shortcomings wraps up with a wow of an ending, bringing us back around to the fictional Crazy Rich Asians-esque movie, but this time seen from a different angle. This is a movie that understands its formula and uses it to create something new and bracing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Shortcomings depicts sex. What values are conveyed? Is there trust? Communication? Consent?
Can shouting, arguing, and raging be counted as violent content? Why, or why not? How did these sequences make you feel?
How does the movie address Asian identity? LGBTQ+ identity? What different beliefs or stereotypes are brought up?
How does the movie deconstruct the romantic comedy genre? What purpose does that genre serve? How can it be changed?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 4, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: February 1, 2024
- Cast: Justin H. Min , Sherry Cola , Ally Maki
- Director: Randall Park
- Inclusion Information: Asian directors, Female actors, Bisexual actors, Queer actors, Asian actors
- Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language throughout, sexual material and brief nudity
- Last updated: March 3, 2024
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