Post Grad–a film about a recent graduate who moves back in with her parents–marks the 15th anniversary of its theatrical release.

I’m going to be honest in that I didn’t realize Kelly Fremon Craig wrote the film until I logged Are You There G-d? It’s Me, Margaret. on Letterboxd. But in fairness, I really didn’t think much about this film after watching it in theaters 15 years ago. Honestly, it’s not even a film that I own on physical media. Nor was it in my top ten of 2009. So why am I watching it for the first time in 15 years (okay, 14.5 since I’m drafting my review after a January 2024 rewatch)? To see how well it holds up!

Ryden Malby (Alexis Bledel) has an entire plan for life following her college graduation. Unfortunately, she fails to land the publishing house job of her dreams. Jessica Bard (Catherine Reitman), a rival, gets the position, forcing Ryden back to square one. It isn’t ideal but she moves back in with her parents, Walter Malby (Michael Keaton) and Carmella Malby (Jane Lynch). I feel you, Ryden. Believe me, I do. The rejection letters pile up as Ryden lives her new normal back home with best friend Adam Davies (Zach Gilford) and neighbor David Santiago (Rodrigo Santoro). Anyway, Ryden ends up getting her dream job after things do not work out with Jessica. Unfortunately, Adam gives up on Ryden noticing his feelings and enrolls across the country at Columbia. Ryden eventually notices, quitting her job in the process.

One tends to forget about the existence of MySpace and then press play on this film. Ryden is sharing her big plan by way of a MySpace video. Is anyone still friends with Tom? Never mind. It just speaks to how utilizing social media networks can really date a film. Especially when networks are out of use and have been for quite some time.

Consider me among the crowd that didn’t hate the film as I thought it was well made at the time. From where I sit, it’s a film that I can resonate with. Well, minus the dating part and losing a job opportunity to a high school rival. Less than a month and a half later, I found myself in a similar predicament to Ryden as I was forced to move back in with my parents. I graduated just before the recession started but after doing Americorps VISTA for a year, it would be pure hell trying to gain employment for the bulk of 2008 and 2009. The only luck I had? Well, it was brief–two days. Not so much because of me but because management said that I didn’t have the voice for a call center. You can only imagine what this does for one’s self-esteem. It hurts–soul-crushing, really.

What I will say about the casting is that if you’re going to cast Carol Burnett, give her more comedy! Keaton gets some decent material and makes the best of it. Jane Lynch does her typical character work. However, Burnett is a comedy legend and should have been given better material!

It’s not an understatement to suggest that the negative reviews had a disastrous impact on the box office. But to perform so poorly as to not even make back half of the production budget?!? Vicky Jenson, who directed the film, was basically put into director jail and she won an Oscar for co-directing Shrek! Thankfully, her first directing credit since 2009 is set to happen this year with an animated film, Spellbound. Fremon Craig, who divorced herself from the film, went on to make her feature directorial debut with The Edge of Seventeen in 2016.

DIRECTOR: Vicky Jenson
SCREENWRITER: Kelly Fremon Craig
CAST: Alexis Bledel, Zach Gilford, Rodrigo Santoro, Jane Lynch, with Carol Burnett and Michael Keaton, Fred Armisen, Bobby Coleman, Andy Daly, Kirk Fox, Catherine Reitman, Craig Robinson

20th Century Fox released Post Grad in theaters on August 21, 2009. Grade: 3.5/5

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