Recently I did some binge watching of TV shows, a couple of docuseries and caught some new movies on demand. I also took time to re-watch a film I hadn’t seen since it came out in the summer of 2002. I’m talking about the coming of age movie “Tadpole.” This was a very low budget, off the beaten path feature and that was in spite of it co-starring known names like Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth, John Ritter and newcomer Aaron Stanford in the title role.
How low budget was “Tadpole”? According to Wikipedia, the whole tab to make this 78 minute movie was only 150,000 dollars! The payback was the movie earned over three million dollars.
“Tadpole” covers the Thanksgiving weekend adventures of fifteen-year-old Oscar Grubman (played by Stanford). Oscar is home from prep school and has the hots (in a respectful manner) for Eve, his step-mother. (Weaver) He admits this to his prep school buddy Charlie (Robert Iler from ‘The Sopranos) who awkwardly tries to help his friend.
Oscar is book smart but not in an obnoxious way and speaks fluent French as his birth mother is French. This character puts on the demeanor of a kid much older than his teen years but his four days home in New York City reveals he still has plenty to learn.
Oscar’s father (John Ritter) is a writer of deep think books who appears to be clueless in connecting both with his son’s maturation into manhood and his wife’s seeming lack of interest in anything but her work in a medical lab. Bebe Neuwirth plays just turned forty Diane, Eve’s best friend, who admits that turning forty leaves her tired yet she finds time to play and be playful.
Sharing any more plot of such a short film, would be unforgiveable. “Tadpole” is subtly clever, funny and touching. I think it resonated with me because like Oscar Grubman, I’ve always had an appreciation for women older than me. It was more than a sexual thing, just as it is with the fifteen year old ‘Tadpole’. From my teens til my mid-twenties I figured women in their thirties and forties had more wisdom and knew more of who they were than the girls my age.
“Tadpole” features insightful quotes from Voltaire that are interspersed at just the right times in the movie. The use of the wistful Simon and Garfunkel song “The Only Living Boy in New York” which is ably covered by the group Everything but the Girl” was also appreciated.
“Tadpole” is a fun to watch small movie. While not a new version of “The Graduate” (Oscar is still in high school) it’s more than worth your click in on demand and the four dollars it will cost you. You’re welcome!