Grosse Point Blank

The 80s gave us some of the best high school angst and hijinx movies. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I’ll stop the list there otherwise, the post would turn into just that.

The high school genre of movies didn’t disappear in the 90s. It continued on strong with the likes of Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I probably should continue that list a little longer since those are all adaptations of either novels or comic books. Who knew Jane Austen and Shakespeare understood high school so we’ll? But, this post isn’t about lists.

I’m steering off-topic. The product of the 90s I want to talk about today is the high school reunion movie. Romy and Michelle get most, if not all, of the fanfare when talking about Reunion flicks. I can’t say I blame the powers that be on that one. It’s a feel-good, romp of a movie where two marginalized girls win the day. I’d recommend watching it if you haven’t or need a good laugh.

Today, I’m going to set the Post-it notes aside. Instead, I want to talk about the other high school reunion movie released in 1997- Grosse Point Blank, starring John Cusak and Minnie Driver.

Cusak plays Martin Blank, a man who walked out of his life the night of his senior prom and wanted never to look back. Well, not exactly true, given the profession he pursued. As a professional hitman, he probably spent a lot of the ten years away from home looking over his shoulder. Martin just wasn’t looking back at Grosse Pointe.

He is convinced by his secretary, played by none other than Joan Cusak, to return to his alma mater for his ten-year high school reunion after a string of snafus. Blank reluctantly agreed since the trip fits into his work schedule.

Enter Minnie Driver as Debi Newbury, his jilted prom date and ex-girlfriend. Blank is immediately drawn to her. I’d say she was the one who got away. The phrase just doesn’t seem appropriate because he’s the one who packed up and left. You get the idea, though. Blank’s past and present end up colliding, giving a new meaning to the phrase, “time to pay the piper.”

I doubt there was much if any, discussion on the choice of Cusak for Martin Blank. His early credits in Sixteen Candles, Better Off Dead, and Say Anything set the audience’s expectation as soon as the movie starts. As coincidence would have it, Adam and I had a double feature the other weekend with this and Better Off Dead. The two could almost be companion films.

And not just because John Cusak is the lead man and a dark, curly-haired woman plays the love interest. They are both comedies flirting with the macabre as well as the absurd. Grosse Point Blank does a much better job blending these three ingredients.

I spent much of Better Off Dead’s run time being mortified and embarrassed. Which was probably the point, but I was taken too far out of the experience by it. Grosse Point Blank was more subtle in its approach and didn’t make me feel like hiding my head under a blanket until the awkward was over. Which made me root for Martin all the more because, well, I relate.

To the awkward, not to being a hitman. Obviously.

Grosse Pointe Blank spent a lot of time on the “Nicole’s picks” shelf during my tenure at Blockbuster. I can be sure, but it may have been a fixture in my selections.

I hadn’t watched it in a few years. I have no idea why I waited this long to revisit the film. Like many of the high school flicks that preceded Grosse Point Blank, it stands the test of time. The cellphone situation and the clothes date it, but that only adds to its flavor.

So if you haven’t seen it, I’d recommend giving this a try. Add a bit of late 90s goodness to your entertainment lineup during this stay at home order. If you have seen it, how did you feel about Martin Blank and his attempt to go home again?