How The Change In Drinking Buddies And The Spectacular Now

Drinking is utilized extensively in Drinking Buddies and The Spectacular Now to move along the storyline and to emphasize changes in relationships. It is only when alcohol is involved that we see Sutter discover the reality of his relationship with his father. With a beer in her hand, we begin to realize Kate’s hidden desires as she stares at Luke and Jill on the bar couch. The major difference in these films revolves around how the romances develop. Drinking Buddies showcases a gradual pushing of Kate and Luke together and only at the very end of the movie is there an “ebb” so to say. On the other hand, The Spectacular Now gives much more back and forth in the relationship between Aimee and Sutter mostly through scenes involving Sutter’s consistent

Sutter meets Aimee by chance after a night of heavy drinking and makes his first romantic move after chugging liquor from a flask at a party. When sober, he shows regret for his decision to ask her to prom by avoiding her all day at school. Sutter rarely shows any affection for Aimee while sober and often forgets intimate conversations they shared while he was drinking. Romantic endeavors are also pushed through alcohol in Drinking Buddies. Chris kisses Jill after sharing some wine on their hiking picnic. Luke and Kate spend two different nights together after heavy drinking. On the other side of this storyline, though, Kate’s drinking seems to place a wedge between her and Chris’s relationship. Alcohol and drinking scenes further the connections between romantic interests and erode undesirable relationships while sober scenes are mostly used as filler where nothing of substance

It felt too much like common sense. The quotes from the people in the study may as well have been my friends and I discussing our plans for a Friday night. From the “keeping pace” to the “do not let me go home with anyone that isn’t you guys” to the “let’s discuss where we’re going, how long we’re staying, and how we’re getting back” everything the girls in the article said is exactly what I experience every time I go out. We encourage one another to drink more, we swap out alcohol for water when someone has gotten out of hand, we keep an eye on sketchy characters getting too chummy with a friend, we roll our eyes at the too-drunk one forcing the rest of us to leave early and take her home. It was very eerie reading about such regular events in a study meant to determine the link between alcohol and friendship, and it made me think a lot more deeply about how my friendships have evolved since drinking became a