Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist Synopsis: High school student Nick O’Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg when she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.
After his girlfriend breaks up with him, Nick is approached at a club by Norah, who asks him to be her boyfriend for a few minutes to save face in front of a friend. That friend also happens to be Nick’s ex, unbeknownst to Norah. When the two find out that their favorite band is putting on a secret show somewhere in the city, they team up to try and find out where while also juggling Norah’s drunk best friend Caroline, Nick’s bandmates, and meddlesome exes.
Along the way, Nick and Norah bond and must decide whether to move forward together or stay stuck in the past with two people who are clearly no good for them.
“I will not be a goody bag at your pity party, Nick.” – Norah
I really liked Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist back when it was released in theaters, but admittedly, I haven’t watched it since. So yes, this is a rewatch thirteen years later! And I am so pleased to say it holds up well, and I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Kat Dennings is an actress I have found I enjoyed in just about everything, and while I never thought Michael Cera had much range as an actor, he seems tailor-made for the role of Nick. If anyone can play an awkward, love-sick teenager, it’s Cera.
He and Dennings were incredibly cute together. Both Nick and Norah are unsure and shy, caught up in destructive relationships while they discover just how much they have in common over the course of one night and how good things could be if they let go of the people holding them back.
Ari Graynor, as well as Nick’s bandmates, played by Aaron Yoo and Rafi Gavron, really contribute to the humor in the movie, especially Graynor’s drunk girl, Caroline, who is just trying to find Norah… or a way home. It’s a strong cast working with a strong script, and I think that’s really what makes this movie work better than most teen-centric rom-coms.
In my opinion, the only downside to Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is Alexis Dziena as Nick’s ex-girlfriend, Tris. Like most romantic comedy exes, she’s one-dimensional: the pretty popular girl who messes with the lead’s head and only wants him back because someone else wants him. It’s a power thing, of course. But I really appreciate movies that give all their characters a genuine personality, not just the two you’re supposed to be rooting for.
“Are you sad that we missed it?” – Norah
“We didn’t miss it. This is it. C’mon. You wanna go home?” – Nick
But that aside, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is absolutely worth a watch and probably deserves more love than it gets. It’s a fun flick with genuine laughs and gives us a believable teenage romance that never promises a Happy Ever After but instead, a Happy for Now, which is something I don’t think we get enough of. Bonus? It has a fantastic soundtrack.
Watched: 07/27/2021
Notable Song: Last Words by The Real Tuesday Weld
