Pitch Perfect is a movie about collegiate a cappella groups. Simple as that, right? Wrong. Pitch Perfect takes collegiate a cappella, a la Glee, and brings it to a whole other level. While the a cappela focus does make Pitch Perfect sound (get it?!) like a big screen version of Glee, there is so much more to the movie that will make every viewer laugh their pants off!
The story follows Beca (Anna Kendrick), a freshman in college with the desire to move to LA and pursue her dream of becoming a music producer. However, her father works at Barden University, which gives her a free ride. Beca and her father made a deal that she would stay at Barden for at least one year before leaving for LA. After ariving at school Beca finds herself doing something she never expected – being the voice of the music instead of the person behind the curtain producing it! Even though Beca tries to keep her singing talent hidden, Beca is (what some might call) harassed, and then convinced to join the Barden Bellas. Rather than accept the traditional ways of the Bellas, Beca ends up giving the group a complete transformation. Using her love for music production, Beca helps the group change from a typical, traditional a cappella group to a breed all of its own. The movie traces the group’s development, but it also dives into romance, comedy, and everything else us collegiettes face on a daily basis.
The characters are not your typical breed in Pitch Perfect. Anna Kendrick’s character starts out as stubborn and antisocial, but blossoms into a loveable, dedicated character that will leave colligettes aspiring to go reach their dreams as well. The supporting cast is full of familiar faces such as Elizabeth Banks from The Hunger Games, Brittany Snow from Prom Night, Rebel Wilson from Bridesmaids. A handful of new faces are introduced as well. These newcomers include Skylar Astin as Jesse, Alexis Knapp as Stacie, and Adam DeVine as Bumper. No matter the size of their role, or their preexisting fame, all of the actors put their all into their performances. This creates a truly believable story that the audience will definitely connect with. In fact, it seems as if you could drop most of them right onto the Tufts campus and they’d fit right in!
The soundtrack from Pitch Perfect is great and has a wide range of music. From the recent hit by Bruno Mars “Just The Way You Are” to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone”, Pitch Perfect definitely covers current popular hits. However, if pop isn’t quite your thing, don’t worry! The 80’s make a comeback in this movie with hits from Madonna (Like A Virgin), Pat Benetar (Hit Me With Your Best Shot) and The Simple Minds (Don’t You Forget About Me). The renditions put on by the The Barden Bellas and The Treblemakers are just as catchy as the originals… if not catchier!
The humor and style definitely are reminiscent of Easy A, so fans of that and Emma Stone’s general comedic style will love Pitch Perfect. After all, with one of the script writers of 30 Rock on board, how could it not be hilarious?
Pitch Perfect is a film everyone will enjoy. It’s a break from the traditional movie experience, because the songs, humor, and characters pull you in. The one-liners never fail to get you laughing and the songs never fail to get you singing along.
Pitch Perfect opens everywhere next Friday, October 5th, so grab a group of friends and head out to go see it!
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