It Takes Three
By Brian Costello,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Modern retelling of classic tale has sex, language.
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It Takes Three
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What's the Story?
In IT TAKES THREE, Cy (Jared Gilman), a quirky and bookish teen, is attempting a grand romantic gesture to ask his "dream girl" to the prom. This gesture fails, and a revealing moment is secretly filmed, posted online, and soon goes viral, much to Cy's humiliation. To add insult to injury, Cy, while walking with his best friend Kat down the hallway, must try to put up with Chris Newton, the best-looking and most popular kid in school, who is also a social media star with thousands of followers. When Chris tries to make fun of Cy for the viral video, Cy loses his temper and tries to fight Chris, and he's soon sent to the principal and sentenced to detention. While in detention, Cy meets Roxy, a new girl to the school, and Cy is immediately enthralled by her brains, charm, looks, and love of all things artsy. But when Roxy walks past the skatepark and Chris sees her for the first time, Chris is immediately smitten with her, and even more so when Roxy, unlike the other girls in the school, isn't taken in by his looks, personality, and celebrity. Desperate to win her heart at all costs, Chris enlists the help of Cy, who initially balks at the idea but soon agrees when Chris offers a large sum of money taken from the profits of being a social media star. Cy thinks the money will pay for the plastic surgery he wants to get to improve what he thinks is his unattractiveness. By posing as Chris on social media, and feeding him lines when Chris and Roxy eventually go on a date, Cy manages to present Chris as someone more arts- and literature-savvy than he really is. While Chris still finds ways to screw things up with Roxy, Cy finds himself to be more and more in love with her. Cy must decide if he'll reveal his true identity to Roxy, and must learn to see and value who he really is.
Is It Any Good?
This is a witty and thoughtful modern-day retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. It Takes Three is an all-too-familiar story with all-too-familiar teen character types, but clever writing and inspired acting keep it entertaining throughout. Each character, starting out in these familiar basics like "awkward nerd," "popular jock," "smart, artsy, cool new girl," etc., manages to transcend these types, bringing individuality and depth through the writing and acting, going far to make them likable and relatable even as they make mistakes and especially when their plans fall apart. It's an enjoyable mix of '80s John Hughes movie teen angst with all the modern technologies kids today love, with their smartphones and social media platforms.
It doesn't always work. For instance, one suspects that the writers like the prose of Jack Kerouac and the music of Galaxie 500 as much as Cy and Roxy do, if not more so. Roxy's sophisticated tastes in visual artists, avant-garde EDM, and third-wave feminism come across as a little too (forgive the Cyrano pun) on the nose. The sex jokes and content can be a bit gratuitous at times. However, what ultimately emerges is a clever satire of teen life in the 21st century, of age-old concerns like self-image and popularity, only filtered and heightened through the noise of social media, internet celebrity, the 24-7 availability via texting. It's a movie that deftly avoids the many clichés of teen movies and puts a spin on a familiar story that can be enjoyed by older teens and adults alike.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about teen movies like It Takes Three. How is this similar to and different from other teen comedies?
Did the sex jokes and content seem necessary to the story, or did the movie go overboard? Why?
How does Roxy show herself to be a strong, independent, and intelligent young woman who doesn't tolerate the dumb behavior of Chris and Cy?
This is a modern-day retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. What other movies and shows have used this plotline?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 3, 2021
- Cast: Jared Gilman , David Gridley , Aurora Perrineau
- Director: Scott Coffey
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
- Studio: Gunpowder & Sky
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship , High School
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 30, 2022
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