Licorice Pizza Review From A Born and Bred Valley Girl
From a local’s perspective, Los Angeles is divided into two parts––the West Side and the Valley. The West Side consists of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, where tourists search for celebrities and take photos with people in costumes next to the Chinese Theater. Meanwhile, the Valley is almost like the suburbs of the craziness. Home to Ventura Boulevard, the San Fernando Valley is where many choose to raise their families as it is more affordable and a general escape from the Los Angeles lifestyle. The Valley in itself is a community that I have had the privilege of growing up in. However, the glitz and glam that remain true to Los Angeles make its way into the protected bubble of the Valley.
Licorice Pizza is Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest film which stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman. As a Valley native himself, Anderson finds joy in having the Valley as the location for most of his films, but Licorice Pizza is undoubtedly the one that takes the cake. He created the leading characters, Alana Kane and Gary Valentine, based on the actors and this was their first-ever on-screen performance. Their acting accurately represented kids living in the Valley because Haim and Hoffman also grew up in the Valley. Fun fact: Alana Haim and I went to the same middle school!
The film begins at Gary Valentine’s High School in 1973 on picture day, a day filled with intrusive thoughts such as, “How is my hair? What if I smile weirdly? Why do they always place me in the most uncomfortable position?” Alana Kane, played by Alana Haim, works with the company that takes the school photos and begins conversing with Valentine, who is ten years younger than her.
The duo immediately but rather awkwardly hit it off and their encounter leads to Alana becoming Gary’s chaperone for his acting opportunity in New York. This is when my ears perked up, as I was faced with yet another wannabe child actor living in the Valley. Gary Valentine’s character is the perfect depiction of a “Valley Kid”––a parent in the PR industry who is trying to get their child famous. I went to a performing arts middle school, where I studied filmmaking but was constantly faced with the “musical theater kids” in my academic classes. There is where I experienced the most amount of bragging I have ever seen. From students constantly leaving early, to them talking about their next Disney Channel booking and asking us for the work they missed the previous day, it was a vicious cycle. You can only imagine how cutthroat the annual musical auditions were…I hate to say it, but Gary Valentine is one of these kids, and they are common in the Valley.
As I mentioned before, the Valley is a community and with community comes running into someone wherever you go. This subtle detail within Licorice Pizza is one I appreciated as wherever Alana Kane went with her gaggle of high schoolers, she recognized someone she knew. This initially jumped out when she went to the Hollywood Palladium for the Teenage-expo and casually walked into the bathroom and knew the person washing their hands in the sink. Now, one can assume this familiarity is because of the time period, along with the lack of social media, phones, and other external distractions. But I cannot count the number of times I walk in the Sherman Oaks Galleria or the Studio City Farmers Market and run into someone I know. Compared to greater Los Angeles, the Valley is a small world, and it is guaranteed that when talking to someone, a mutual friend is revealed within minutes.
I went to see Licorice Pizza with my extended family, all of whom grew up in the Valley as well. My Aunt and Mom felt the deepest connection to this film, and every time the characters went to a restaurant or other Valley staple, you could hear them express a gasp of surprise and start talking about their memories. Some noticeable locations were Cupid's Hotdogs, Rive Gauche Cafe, the neighborhoods of Sherman Oaks and Encino, and the El Portal Theatre, coincidentally where my elementary school held their galas.
This film is a love letter to the San Fernando Valley, which is what made me appreciate it so deeply. As someone who has struggled to love their city, and is anxiously awaiting to move away for college, Anderson accurately reminded viewers of the hidden gems found within our streets. So as a Valley Girl, I liked it. If I was not from the Valley and therefore could not comprehend the references, I wouldn’t have liked it as much.
Similar to films like Call Me By Your Name, the age difference between the love interests has tended to distract viewers. However, the relationship between Alana and Gary didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. I believe their maturity levels were close enough to create a prosperous relationship, and if they both care for each other then I see no problem. Many people are deeming this storyline “pedophilic” but as long as the relationship is consensual, well thought out, and the feelings are strong between the couple, that description seems inappropriate.
What bothered me the most about the film was the unnecessary racism that curated some of the loudest laughs from the audience. Within Gary’s mother’s Public Relations company, a scene between a white man and his Japanese wife sets up strong mockery. This is also seen with Alana’s Jewish background which leads to the embellishment of stereotypes. Although it has been stated that this racism was simply meant to establish the time period, the days of Nixon and how people were treated in the early ’70s, it felt unneeded. Since the audience had expressed laughter whenever a rude comment was made toward a particular race or culture, it shows how oppression and mockery remain funny, when it is supposed to be serious.
Besides the blatant racism, I enjoyed watching Anderson’s newest film Licorice Pizza. It reminded me of the thrill that comes with living in the Valley, which is something I will treasure forever. Alana Haim was so inviting, and after being a recent Haim-stan (her Grammy-nominated band with her sisters), I loved seeing her face on the big screen and I hope she continues acting. Plus, I found many similarities between the film and my upbringing, despite the era differences, and am looking forward to seeing how it fares during a
