When I first heard about this film, I was only presented with the idea that it is a “love story told out of order” or “it’s not a love story, it’s a story about love.” Calm down, everyone, I know what you’re thinking. Let me get this out of the way immediately and say that (500) Days of Summer is a much better film than Peter and Vandy. With that said, Peter and Vandy is very good little movie within itself and, at the recommendation of this reviewer, it should be seen if you get the chance.
Based on the 2002 play of the same name, Peter and Vandy is the brainchild of first-time screenwriter/director Jay DiPietro. The film is exactly that: a love story told out of order, in beautiful New York City. It kicks off with Peter (Jason Ritter, W.) and Vandy (Jess Weixler, Teeth) declaring their love, each to the other, in their own way, then BOOM, we’re in the middle of the opening credits with music blasting and graphics and images flying across the screen, and you can already tell you’re in for an emotional ride. And an emotional ride it is. Because we see the two of them together to start the film, it makes seeing their first encounter that much more uncomfortable. Eventually we figure out that Peter is just a semi-awkward guy who runs into this beautiful girl on her lunch break and doesn’t give up. He shows up a few days later at the same spot to see her again and gives her a gift; one that definitely sealed the deal for him. Of course those two scenes happened 40 minutes apart, but we eventually see it.
What Peter and Vandy does exceptionally well is not tell you where you are in the relationship. While you’re concentrating on the characters and the scene at hand, you must also keep in mind the previous scene and how it fits into the current situation. For example, we see their relationship begin to take a turn for the worse. When we see Vandy with another man we think “they broke up and this is her new boyfriend.” But a later scene shows us that the “other man” was her boyfriend before Peter. Things like that really kept me interested in the film, trying to not miss anything… and I still whispered to myself, “Oh, I didn’t see that coming.” For a film that is extremely out of order, with no timeline (unlike 500 Days…) it was surprisingly easy to follow. You just had to trust DiPietros script would eventually give us the answers we’re looking for. And as far as I’m concerned, we were in good hands.
Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler took DiPietro’s script and played the couple in a typical fashion. Most of the time they fought about nothing, which was amusing at first for all of us in relationships that were in the theater, but it wore off fast. Eventually they just got bored with each other and began to bicker about every little thing. They are more just “vessels” that bring DiPietro’s script to life, rather than actors. For better or for worse, Jay DiPietro got exactly what he wanted out of Ritter and Weixler, which is a sign of a good director. A scene that really stood out was one where Peter and Vandy argue on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The fight is cute and funny at first, but turns out bigger than you can imagine.
After a few of the scenes ended, it felt as if it was written and acted out as a play. The script as a whole did not transfer 100% to the screen. Direction and cinematography both felt very immature. The camera was not set up in the right spots during the shoot, making the editor’s job harder, et cetera. What we were left with was Peter and Vandy looking and talking at each other, but then looking in the opposite direction in the next cut. It might be a small detail that doesn’t take away from the film as a whole, but it definitely made me step back from the story a bit and scratch my head.
Despite its flaws, though, Peter and Vandy is a fun film with a huge heart. You can tell everyone involved was very passionate about the project and worked hard to get it off the ground. Mr. DiPietro should continue to write and direct for the screen. Peter and Vandy is a great film to start his career on, and he can only get better from here.
Rating: 
