Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect stars Anna Kendrick, Skylar Austin, Rebel Wilson, Adam Devine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow with John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks. The cast also includes Christopher Mintz-Plasse, John Hickey, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee, Ben Platt, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michael Viruet, and Freddie Stroma.


Max Handelman and Elizabeth Banks were smart to option the film rights to the book, Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory, by Mickey Rapkin. Hiring Kay Cannon, an Emmy nominated writer in her own right, to write it was an even smarter choice.  I've laughed at all the episodes of 30 Rock and New Girl that she has written.

Directed by Jason Moore, who directed the original production of Avenue Q on Broadway, and written by Second City/iO alumnus Kay Cannon, I feel that this film may have fallen a bit into formulaic territory but I did not mind a single bit because of the fact that it was very fun to watch.

If I had to pitch it as a one of those where a film meets a film, I would say Bring It On meets Mean Girls with a tad bit of The Breakfast Club and then some. It's what I would say is an in-your-face campus comedy that does have some cringeworthy moments, especially coming from the character played by Anna Camp.  I would say that was probably the only part of the film that goes too far but it induces a lot of laughter in the process.

You have no idea how big a role The Breakfast Club plays in this film.  It does make one miss what John Hughes was able to bring to the bring screen.

The a capella in this film is not the self-congratulatory righteousness that Ryan Murphy brings to you in Glee. Far from it.  Although I have never watched an episode of Glee, I have seen musicals.  This is different from Camp Rock in that regard.

Filmed on a $17 million budget, it will be interesting to see just how well this movie does and whether the studio decides they want to see a sequel because the possibilities are endless a la Bring It On.