Let's be real. Paul Thomas Anderson has never made a bad movie. In fact, when I ranked all of PTA's films, it was hard to figure out what would be number one, since I had a three-way-tie in my mind with Phantom Thread, The Master, and There Will Be Blood.
That said, I definitely like some PTA films better than others. For example, even though I understand the appeal of something like Inherent Vice, I didn't enjoy it. That's kind of how I felt about Licorice Pizza when I originally saw it.
However, it seems to have grown on me. So much so that I've since reevaluated the film, and now I think I actually really like it. Here are five reasons why.
The Soundtrack Lives In My Mind Constantly
A great movie soundtrack can stand on its own. If I can think back to some of my favorite soundtracks from the past few decades, like Reservoir Dogs, Garden State, and Guardians of the Galaxy, I can definitely recall just vibing to those albums in my car and completely ignoring the movie that they’re attached to.
But, an exceptional soundtrack is completely interlaced with the movie. What I mean is, if I hear a song that’s in the flick, my mind is instantly transported back to the movie, be it a scene, or a moment where the songs were super effective. I mentioned the Tarantino cult classic Reservoir Dogs before, and while I can definitely separate most of the soundtrack from the movie, the song that I will ALWAYS tie with it is “Little Green Bag” by the George Baker Selection. How can I not when the characters look so cool when that song starts playing?
Well, all this is to say that when it comes to Licorice Pizza, I find that I keep getting transported back to the film whenever I hear certain songs I was already familiar with, such as “Let Me Roll It,” by Paul McCartney and Wings, “Peace Frog” by The Doors, and “Life On Mars?” by David Bowie. It doesn’t hurt that I listen to a lot of classic rock on my way to work, so I hear some of these songs quite regularly.
But, the way they’re used in the film really makes me think back to the overall feeling I had while watching it. I was kind of put off by the movie at times on my first watch through, but when some of these songs hit, they really make me feel a certain way, and any movie that can make me think back to it fondly just by a few musical cues is definitely effective.
It Feels Like No Other PTA Film...In A Good Way
PTA is not my favorite director (that would be Stanley Kubrick), but if I’m going to make an American director Mount Rushmore, then PTA would definitely be up there alongside the aforementioned Kubrick, Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola. I mean, I just love his movies, and out of his nine feature-length films, I’d say that I’d consider six of them to be some of the greatest movies that I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
So, what then, were the three movies that I was kind of iffy about on his resume? Well, that would be his directorial debut, Hard Eight, Inherent Vice, and, you guessed it, Licorice Pizza. Now, I don’t think any of those movies are bad, per se. In fact, I really admire Hard Eight for being as confident as it was for a directorial debut. But, when compared to towering movies like Magnolia, Boogie Nights, or There Will Be Blood, they just don’t stack up.
Though I am reevaluating Licorice Pizza, I would still say that it doesn’t stack up with his greatest pictures. That said, what I really think I missed the first time around was just how different a PTA film this actually is. Unlike the rest of his filmography, it's more of a coming-of-age picture. We get a budding romance between two relatively young people (played by Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman), and it all takes place in California’s San Fernando Valley in the ‘70s, which feels like a character in itself.
And, you know what? Thinking back to the movie (which I do often because of its soundtrack), I really think I like how different this film feels. When considering one of my other favorite American directors, Tarantino, who didn’t quite make my Mount Rushmore, but was close, I love that he has such a varied filmography. When ranking Tarantino’s pictures, you get crime thrillers, a martial arts film, westerns, and a look back at Hollywood.
I would say that Anderson’s filmography is a lot less varied than Tarantino’s, but it’s still super potent. That said, I think I now like how much Licorice Pizza stands out in Anderson’s career. It’s super different, but in a good way.
That Said, I Now View It As A Companion Piece To Punch-Drunk Love
2002’s Punch-Drunk Love is labeled as an absurdist romantic comedy-drama film, but honestly, I view it much more as just a drama. Adam Sandler, who should have been nominated for Uncut Gems for Best Actor and for this movie, plays a lonely man who falls in love with somebody he never expected. It feels dark, but there’s that hint of hope and levity in there that doesn’t really come up much in Anderson’s work, if I’m being completely honest.
Then, you have Licorice Pizza, which may be Anderson’s cheeriest picture to date. The two films have a completely different tone, but because both films are about unlikely romances, I kind of now mentally lump them together.
In fact, when I watch this a third time, which I intend to, I’m going to clear out some space in my day and try to do a double feature of it and Punch-Drunk Love. There is definitely a hidden loneliness to Cooper Hoffman’s character, Gary Valentine, but he just hides it better than Sandler’s character, Barry Egan. And now, I see that. I just didn’t see it the first time around.
Cooper Hoffman's Performance Really Lingers With Me
The first time I watched this movie, it took me about halfway through before I took out my phone and searched the actors, and that’s when my eyes widened. Wait, this is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son? I remember thinking. But, yep, in his film debut, we got the progeny of the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, and man, his performance still lingers with me.
It's the quiet moments, really. The moments where his character is eating burgers with his mom and sees the girl he likes going out with another guy, or when he runs to her when she falls off a motorcycle. It’s the moments when he’s the most vulnerable that really stick with me, because it really reminds me of his father. For all the loud performances Philip Seymour Hoffman had in movies like Hard Eight and Punch-Drunk Love, it was always the more understated performances, like the one in The Master that always resonated with me.
That’s why I’m really glad that Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son ended up starring in Licorice Pizza. He’s both his old man, and his own man, and it’s fascinating to see in repeat viewings.
I Love '70s Cinema, And I Don't Think I Can Think Of A Modern Movie That Feels More '70s Than This One
Lastly, the ‘70s are my favorite decade of cinema, and I’m happy that PTA has dipped so heavily into that well. He did so with Boogie Nights and Inherent Vice, and did it again with Licorice Pizza. Boogie Nights explored the seedier sides of the ‘70s, and Inherent Vice explored the darker, more corrupt side, Licorice Pizza actually showcases the happier times.
And, I love this! Through these three films, we really get an earnest portrayal of how the director saw his youth in that time period. I’ve always taken PTA for the serious Anderson (you know, as opposed to Paul W.S. Anderson and Wes Anderson), but this movie made me realize that he isn’t just a serious man. I mean, he is that, but he’s so much more. The man likes to have some fun, too!
Did you dislike Licorice Pizza when you initially saw it? If so, you might want to give it another shot like I did. For more news on all thing PTA, make sure to swing around here often!
