Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Licorice Pizza’ Gets Positive Reactions From WGA Audience

Last night in Los Angeles, one of the year’s most anticipated films had its first screening at the WGA, that would be Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza.”

The reception was overwhelmingly positive, not that surprising given the setting and selective audience in attendance. Actual critics will be watching this at a press screening on Thursday.

I won’t tackle the minor controversy that has been spurred on social media surrounding the age gap between Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman’s characters. That, to me, is such a non-issue especially since it is based on the real-life teenage experiences of producer Gary Goetzman.

From what we’ve gathered so far, the film is 95% about Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim’s relationship. The other actors should be considered cameos, including Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper — the latter is said to steal a few scenes.

What we have here seems to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s most accessible film — post-screening PTA mentioned that this was the “easier” project for him to work on during the pandemic, and he had been working on something else but was having issues completing it, so he went back to this idea which he has had for 20 years. He describe it as making a movie with “friends at home”.

From someone who was in attendance:

”The film meanders, but that’s part of its charm. I liked the “Lady Bird” comparisons. “Licorice Pizza” felt like a mix between Gerwig’s film, Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” It’s a hangout movie with a very big heart and a highly emotional payoff. It does feel like the most minimally realized but personal movie of his career. It’s not striving for greatness as much as artful comfort food. The photography elevates everything though, the tracking shots are stunning. There are some groovy ‘70s needle drops, including a killer moment with Paul McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It To You.” Safdie as Joel Wachs actually has the most emotionally resonant scene of the film near the end. Yes, there is not necessarily a story to speak of here. It’s just bits and pieces, bits and pieces, etc. But there IS this undercurrent all through it, which is that they like each other a lot but no nookie because of the age gap. I went with it and was rewarded with an enormous amount of pleasures. it’s anecdotal with lots of cultural pointilism and also a interesting and exciting capture of the 1973–‘74 San Fernando Valley. It is interesting that Alana Haim is called “Alana Haim” in the film. And yet Cooper Hoffman is called “Gary Valentine” (i.e., not Goetzman). As for the age gap controversy you mentioned, the whole film hinders on that sexual connection, all through it, until the very end when there’s this big emotional payoff.”

Reviews won’t drop until the 11.22.21 embargo is lifted.