For an actor getting type cast can be a two edged sword. Recognition for playing a certain kind of role or character typically means casting directors have you readily in mind translating to regular work; always a good thing. One the other edge of the blade this same set of factors can box an actor in precluding opportunities to grown in their craft. When an actor is so strongly identified with a specific role fans may find it extremely difficult to accept them in a divergent part. One case of this is with a talented young actress, Alexis Bledel. For seven years she embodied her character of Star’s Hallows favorite daughter ‘Rory Gilmore’. Over the course of the series her character was afford more than the usual growth going from a shy, studious sixteen year old girl to a young woman graduating with honors from Yale University. When the series ended Ms Bledel began to broaden out in the choice of roles. Many of her fans found it difficult to watch her play a street hooker in ‘Sin City’’. In ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ she got to pull back to something her fans could accept. In her most recent film; ‘Post Grad’ Bledel plays a recent college graduate almost at the same point in life that Rory faced in the last episode of ‘The Gilmore Girls’. While that final episode left Rory with a strong chance of realizing her dreams and career goals only a few years later in the real world the prospects for most new college graduates is rather bleak. This movie attempts to make light of the daunting economic problems facing the millions of twenty-something’s as they embark on life outside the safety of school. Audience members of this age will be readily able to identify with the plight our heroine faces. Those of us on the more mature side may be a touch jaded since our generation had to overcome difficult times of our own. The film pretty much misses the mark for numerous reasons but can still manage a few laughs due to the dedication and talent of the cast. Fox has released the film in both Blu-ray and regular DVD for a popcorn movie night at home.

The film has a decidedly feminine voice projected by writer Kelly Fremon and director Vicky Jenson. Fremon has only one script to her credit while Jensen has extensive experience in the art department and directed animated flicks such as ‘Shark’s Tale’ and ‘Shrek’. As such the film at hand represents a new direction in the careers of both artists. Ryden Malby (Bledel) has just achieved the goal so many young men and women strive for; she has finally graduated college. Until now her life has been running pretty much according to her long held grand plan. She worked hard in high school in order to obtain a scholarship and now she is ready for the next phase of the plan to begin. It is time to move to the big city, get an apartment and land her dream job in the field of publishing. Unfortunately for Ryden while she was busy with her studies the world took a radically different turn. As John Lennon once mused in song ‘Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.’ For poor lamentable Ryden this translates to the complete annihilation of her perfectly constructed life plan. She just happens to graduate in the middle of one of the largest global economic down turns in history. She is beaten out for a job by her college rival and getting a place on her own is far beyond her financial means so like many kids she joins the reverse migration back to the parental home. There she finds that her parents, Walter (Michael Keaton) and Carmela (Jane Lynch) are facing a fiscal crisis of their own. When Dad is arrested for selling stolen belt buckles they can’t even muster the bail. Hlping her to hold together is her childhood best friend Adam Davies (Zach Gilford) who offers some relief from the near constant string of misfortunes that surround her. If this film was played as a straight dark comedy the premise would have been served much better. Instead the film makes through in the character of David Santiago (Rodrigo Santoro) as a love interest for Ryden. This quickly became distracting and greatly softened the ending turning it away from a potentially humorous indictment of our times to a sappy, unrealistic Hollywood romantic comedy conclusion. The cast manages to rise above the material, at to the degree possible. Bledel has made a career out of the doe eyed deep blue eyed stare and has added to her skill set the ability to run around in extremely uncomfortable looking heels. I can understand her need to expand her roles both this somehow seems like a step backwards. At one time Keaton was a true master of the offbeat comedy but his talent is barely given anything to work with here. A similar comment applies to Lynch who has played some of the greatest strange characters in the pseudo documentaries from the brilliant mind of Christopher Guest. There is a lot of potential talent on both sides of the camera but it just wasn’t reached in this particular case.

Deleted And Alternate Scenes
Music Video: One Day By Jack Savoretti
Post Grad Survival Guide
- Real Life Advice with Alexis Bledel and Zach Gilford
- Know Your Strengths: Career Advice
- How Not To Get A Job
- A Guide To Moving Back Home
- Dress For Success
- Find Your Match! The Best Job For You
- What Not To Wear
- Post Grad Confidential