The joy of the familiar

Paul Thomas Anderson films are most often psychological dramas of one kind or another. He's most noted, of course, for things like Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood. In both of those instances, his characters, while determined to move forward, also faced situations that questioned who they were or who they were presenting themselves to be. In that respect, his latest project, Licorice Pizza, continues in that vein. Lead character, Gary (Cooper Hoffman), is a precocious child star who is determined to not let the obstacles of age or teenage social norms stand in his way as he sets up businesses, mingles with the Hollywood set, and mostly pursues Alana (Alana Haim), who is 10 years his senior. Along the way, it becomes perhaps the most fun and sentimental film that Anderson has ever done.

That suffused the COVID-inhibited production, as well. While he had begun writing the screenplay 20 years before, by the time he got around to completing it, he had decided to cast family friend, Alana Haim (and all of her family, who make up the band, Haim, for whom Anderson has directed a number of videos.) Consequently, he needed someone that he felt interacted well with her "naturalistic" acting and, after a lengthy search, finally came upon Hoffman, son of frequent Anderson collaborator, the dearly-missed Philip Seymour Hoffman. At that point, it might be safe to assume that all of the pieces fell into place, especially given that the story is set in Anderson's youthful home of the San Fernando Valley which was also the setting for his first big hit, Boogie Nights. Anderson has mentioned that those factors and the limitations set by the pandemic are what made Licorice Pizza into something of a "friends and family" creation and that sensation suffuses everything about it. Hoffman's character is based on producer Gary Goetzman, who was also a child actor. Anderson secured permission from Jon Peters to represent him in the film on the condition that Peters' favorite pickup line was used in the script. Everything about this is rooted in people and environments with whom PTA is intimately familiar and, indeed, those of us who grew up in the 70s (waves hand) could instantly identify with the look and feel of everything and everyone on the screen in front of us.

What's even more remarkable about it is that these were Hoffman and Haim's first major roles. Certainly, being born into families that are part of show business makes them somewhat natural fits, just as with Gary in the film itself. But the aplomb with which both handled their roles is still really impressive. You almost never get the impression that they're out of place or that the scenes are particularly stilted or set up to execute. Most of it just seems like teenage, coming-of-age drama of which I'm not particularly a fan, but which works well here and is constantly entertaining in its shift from typical relationship/family problems ("Is your dick circumcised? Then you're a Jew!") to far more unusual scenarios ("Do you know who my girlfriend is?" "Barbara Streisand?" "Barbara Streis-sand. Like 'sands'. Like the ocean.") That sense of familiarity continues even when far more notable names like Bradley Cooper (as Peters), Sean Penn, and Tom Waits(!) appear onscreen as simply one more part of Gary's world that he continually entices Alana into, despite her biggest concern being how often she hangs out with a bunch of teenagers and pre-teens.

What makes all of this work is the film's focus on story, which I'm constantly droning on about in these posts. Anderson has always had a firm grasp on it and it's no different here, even in what seems like its weakest point (the bar scene with Penn and the motorcycle jump) and you never lose track of what the ultimate goal is: Gary proving to Alana that he's worth her time and attention; something already subconsciously realized and admitted to by her and which we're all just waiting for her to come to grips with by the latter half of the film. That, too, is an admission of familiarity and while those stories can often seem too familiar and, thus, tedious, that isn't the case here. Licorice Pizza is a marked step away from things like There Will Be Blood and The Master, but it's still wholly worthwhile to sit with friends and family and soak up the entertainment that doesn't let up for a second.