Writer-director Kevin Smith loves New Jersey, movies, and the memories of his youth. All are on display in The 4:30 Movie, a charming, funny, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story. 

Taking place during the summer of 1986, the picture is a love letter to Generation X cinephiles that leans into the nostalgia of a time when going to the movies was a fun and communal experience. As was the case for any teenage movie lover during that fruitful decade, a trip to the theater with your buddies or best girl made memories that lasted a lifetime. With Smith’s latest, the era that shaped him gets a loving homage.

For kids and teens, the 1980s was a glorious decade. The world felt more free, as video arcades, roller rinks, and the local mall were booming social hotspots that made kids feel welcome. It was a time where friends would leave the house early on a summer morning and not return until dinner, as their days were spent riding bikes, dropping quarters into video games, and (for many) heading to the theater to see the latest anticipated film. Technology had not yet turned our young into couch potatoes with low attention spans and Hollywood made many popular youth-oriented works that didn’t insult their intelligence. The movie-going culture of the decade was unique and full of creativity that drew people to cinemas; a lost golden-age compared to the Hollywood of today.

Back in the 80s, for the kids who loved movies, sharing a theater-going experience with your best friends was part of being alive. Infused with that wistful nugget of truth, The 4:30 Movie focuses on teenage best friends, Brian David (Austin Zajur), Burny (Nicholas Cirillo), and Belly (Reed Northrup) during the summer of 1986. Brian David is the movie guru and is the film’s version of a young Kevin Smith. Burny is the too-cool-for-school friend; a teen who is always looking for a chance for sex, no matter where and when it may occur. While all three are close, Burny puts on a New Jersey tough guy persona he feels will make him cool. Belly is Brain David’s closest friend and one who will become the unexpected glue that holds the group together.

The trio’s usual weekend trip to the theater is altered by Brian inviting his crush, Melody (Siena Agudong), without first discussing it with his buddies. The crew is trying to sneak into an R-rated movie they have been dying to see. All seems easy for the three buddies until a monkey-wrench comes in the form of the theater’s manager, (Ken Jeong, in another funny performance) who takes an instant dislike to the boys and makes their quest to hop auditoriums almost impossible. 

The actors are all endearing and their infectious rapport gives the film a natural quality. When Brian David calls up Melody for a date (he blew it last summer when she invited him to go to “second base” in a pool), the scene perfectly captures the young man’s nervous courage. The moments between the burgeoning couple are the most naturally infectious of the film. A lengthy dialogue between Brain David and Melody, as they walk through the summer sunlit afternoon, holds some of the most charming cinematic conversations of recent memory. Smith has obviously based this on pieces of his own childhood and the scene flows beautifully, playing out like a warm memory. 

Smith keeps his story small and isn’t interested in making the next American Graffiti. It is in the intimacy of the piece where the filmmaker finds heart and truth, but not at the expense of some very funny humor. The screenplay finds some big laughs as the three friends constantly debate movies and girls. The director creatively uses the cinematic sensibilities of the past and earns smiles when characters riff on certain well-known films, such as how Return of the Jedi will be the last Star Wars movie of their lifetime. 

Another comedic highlight is the trio of the fake trailers that play before the friends’ main feature, itself a spoof of 1980’s Flash Gordon. “Sister Sugar Walls” (a riff on 1984’s Grindhouse classic, Angel), “The Health Nut” (a Friday the 13th slasher), and Booties (basically Ghoulies) are all clever and quite funny

As one character says, “Movies make life make sense.” Smith reminds us that movies are (for some) a sacred thing; an experience that can connect us and sometimes shape our views of the world. For film lovers, for the casual moviegoer, and for Smith, movies are indeed magic. For the characters who inhabit this endearing comedy, time spent at the theater with close friends is all the sense life needs to make. 

A heartfelt, sweet, and (most importantly) tender remembrance of the privilege of youth and the vibrant pop culture of the 1980s, The 4:30 Movie is one of the most delightful films of Kevin Smith’s career. 

The 4:30 Movie

Written & Directed by Kevin Smith

Starring Austin Sajur, Nicholas Cirillo, Reed Northrup, Siena Agudong, Ken Jeong, Sam Richardson, Kate Micucci

R, 88 Minutes, View Askew Productions, Three Point Capital