Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- offbeat
- witty
- awkward
- lazy afternoon
- coming-of-age movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an unsuccessful, poorly received coming-of-age romantic comedy with an unfocused script and uneven execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jones drops out immediately, flirts compulsively, writes to an absent father, and must confront adult responsibility after the accident.
Jones moves into an old apartment building and becomes entangled with its photographer and aspiring-actress residents.
Jones indulges in an overactive fantasy life while avoiding questions about family, sexuality, and independence.
Jones repeatedly pens letters to his absentee father, making imagined communication central to his self-understanding.
Films like Try Seventeen, and why
The Graduate
shared coming-of-age focus, romantic entanglements, awkward young protagonist, and bittersweet self-discovery
Garden State
shared offbeat romantic comedy tone, eccentric adults, and a young outsider negotiating independence
The Last Picture Show
shared adolescent uncertainty, sexual awkwardness, flirtation, and comedic transition into adulthood
Rushmore
shared whimsical coming-of-age structure, fantasy-inflected subjectivity, and emotional maturation
Movie Details
- Director
- Jeffrey Porter
- Release Date
- 2002-09-10
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (123)
Cast
- Elijah Wood
- Franka Potente
- Mandy Moore
- Debbie Harry
- Elizabeth Perkins
- Chris William Martin
- Aaron Pearl
- Aloma Wright
- Andrew Jackson
- Malcolm Scott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Try Seventeen about?
- A sexually inexperienced young dropout finds chaotic romance and reluctant maturity among the eccentric residents of his new apartment building.
- What is Try Seventeen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Try Seventeen as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Try Seventeen violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Try Seventeen as mild.
- What did critics think of Try Seventeen?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an unsuccessful, poorly received coming-of-age romantic comedy with an unfocused script and uneven execution.
- Which films are like Try Seventeen?
- Films with a similar feel include The Graduate, Garden State, The Last Picture Show, and Rushmore.
- How long is Try Seventeen?
- Try Seventeen runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Try Seventeen?
- In United States, Try Seventeen streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
