In this day and age, adulthood is complicated — working unconventional jobs, tiptoeing around the “what are we” conversations and over-ruminating on what-could-have-beens. Leo Kadner (Jonah Feingold, “Dating & New York”) happens to fit this type of lifestyle. He’s a Jewish filmmaker who (ironically) earns his money through Christmas ads and entertains friends with benefits despite his increasing daydreams of rekindling an old summer camp crush. Obviously, Leo is a far cry from the over-achiever his parents envisioned him being. Thus, at almost 31, Leo is constantly grappling with his ultimate fear: dying alone.
The film deals with romance in a playful manner while also delivering a heartfelt and relatable message about finding love in an era of nonchalance. “31 Candles” follows 30-year-old Leo as he navigates identity, situationships, his Jewish heritage and his old crush Eva Shapiro (Sarah Coffey, “Devil’s Workshop”). Set 15 years after a disastrous MySpace confession at the end of camp, Leo and Eva are reunited once again, which Leo sees as a second chance to fix what’s been broken.
After some witty and comedic dialogue exchange, we learn that Eva is now a Torah tutor to help fund her dreams of becoming a Broadway actor and her unhealthy addiction to shopping for vintage furniture. Leo, who, as a result of his parents’ divorce, never had a bar mitzvah, commences a genius plan — to celebrate his long-overdue passage into manhood at the age of 31 in an attempt to get his childhood crush to fall in love with him.
Like every romantic comedy, though, things don’t go quite as planned. Leo struggles to learn Hebrew alongside kids less than half his age, embarrassingly loses to Eva in a game of basketball and scrambles to find a mitzvah project to benefit the greater community. These scenes between Leo and Eva are both fast-paced and entertaining, driving the narrative forward even during the typical, cheesy rom-com moments.
Exploring modern struggles, “31 Candles” balances the comforting feel of older rom-coms, stylizing itself to look like one of those nostalgic films we continue to grab off the shelves every year while also addressing contemporary issues young adults face today. From the film’s fashion choices (earthy neutrals, knit sweaters and corduroy blazers) to its warm retro color grading and the reduced sharpness of its images, the feel would almost be enough to transport viewers a few decades back in time if it weren’t for references to Millennial and Generation Z culture that snap us back to the present.
At first, these references imbue a comfortably modern tone. As “31 Candles” continues, however, the juxtaposition between Gen Z terms and the vintage cinematography feels more like a tug of war between nostalgia and the present rather than a harmonious blending of time periods. The film uses terms like roster reset, cuffing season and mutual muting. Most moments of these modern-day references were humorous, but it makes me wonder if they make the film relevant only to the generation that understands them. It’s true that the current dating landscape, as the film portrays, lacks authenticity, and the film’s central theme is that love transcends trends and has the power to teach us timeless lessons we can hold onto forever. Yet the film summarizes this theme with TikTok jargon, indicating that the message is only aimed toward 20-somethings.
Timeless movies are timeless because they use universal themes that resonate across generations, not tropes that will eventually become outdated. However, a common pitfall that media tend to fall into is trying too hard to be relevant to the time period in which they are released. “31 Candles” falls into this trap, focusing on the endearing aspect of growing up and changing perceptions on love in a way that is only relatable to people in their 20s.
“31 Candles” may not be the next holiday classic, but it was nonetheless a breath of fresh air from my typical Christmas rotation. The film didn’t profoundly change my perspective on romance, nor did I find it a form of escapism — I actually found it a sobering reflection of how severed human connection is in today’s day and age. But it did remind me that sometimes in our pursuit of love, we often forget that it might already surround us.
TV Beat Editor Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
