This Too Shall Pass: John Hughes-Infused Nostalgia Road-Trip is a Gen X Treat

By John Kirk

Rating: A-

This Too Shall Pass is a delightfully unexpected story of growing up, in the same vein as pretty much every John Hughes film. It’s laced with nostalgic hits of the 80’s and the type of humour you remember laughing at as a teenager.

The back of a police car in Ottawa is no place for any 17-year old to find themselves, especially if you’re a strait-laced Mormon kid like Simon (Maxwell Jenkins). But that’s where Simon begins his stereotypical ‘80s style narration.

It is indeed the 80s. Simon lives in Syracuse, New York with his brother and parents, all devoted members of the Mormon church. There aren’t too many members of the Latter-Day Saints around Simon’s town, but his parents want him to socialize exclusively with kids from the church. Simon signs himself up for every sports team he can think of to break out of his repressive social circle and meet new friends.

Aidan LaPrete, Katie Douglas and Jeremy Ray Taylor

It's a pretty normal reaction for a kid his age. He winds up with a close-knit group of friends who accept him for who he is and allow him in to their circle of booze, good music, and of course, girls on the side. He wants to be a musician. Life is good. Well, bearable, at least.

But Simon’s parents lash out at him for his non-church friendly social activities. They impose punishments, restrictions and even arrange counseling sessions with his church ward bishop to discuss his sense of unworthiness.

When this fails to achieve desired results, they hit him with an ultimatum that will separate him from his friends. Dreading this and emboldened by the thought of reuniting with a girl who is travelling to spend time with her family in Ottawa, Simon convinces his friends to join him on a cross-border escapade up to Canada for a weekend of non-Mormon adventure.

There are a lot of themes in this film that will guarantee it will not fail to hit its mark with its intended audience.

 Having the story set in the ‘80s will automatically attract the attention of any nearby Gen X member. In this decade, celebrities recorded PSAs reminding parents that it was 10 o’clock and asking if they knew where their children were. Kids were being told to say no to drugs by Nancy Reagan and set upon all sides by the forces of the Satanic Panic, school bullies and evils of Rock and Roll.

Gen Xers are proud of this decade that shaped them and felt accomplished that they survived it. Any film set in this period is like a reminder of the battles they fought and how good the kids of today have it.

Then there’s Simon’s best friends. Tim (Ben Cockell), Chris (Jeremy Ray Taylor), John (Aidan Laprete), and James (Jaylin Webb) who all have a different back-story and play different but important roles in the friendship circle. Again, very reminiscent of every teen film set in the eighties, this is certainly a device that will resonate in the minds of the target audience. Very John Hughes.

Of course, John Hughes comes up in the story as a topic. The function of the John Hughes film, described by film buff, James, is also a theme of This Too Shall Pass. Like the motif of the play within the play, what the point of every John Hughes film is becomes part of Simon’s purpose for the adventure. It’s a very neat piece of meta script-writing.

What’s also pretty cool is the cameo appearances of ‘80s film actors as well. When they appear, it’s more moments for Xers to get excited about. Heck, even the love interest Misty (Katie Douglas) resembles Saved By The Bell’s Kelly Kapowski (Tiffany Amber Thiessen).

Then there’s the repressive Mormon lifestyle side portion of this story. Apparently, the story was based on co-writer, Michael Simon Baker’s own life. A lot of the issues in the character Simon’s own life then would also speak to those Gen Xers who also grew up in the same repressive lifestyle.

This Too Shall Pass is a film with a purpose. It’s about growing up in the ‘80s overall, but combined with threads of John Hughes, and throwbacks to issues that were on the minds of every teen in that decade. Combined with a nostalgic, kick-ass soundtrack – it’s a movie that is definitely out of its time and speaks to its people with a warm and loving sense of reminiscence.

We survived the ‘80s, y’all. If you know, you know.

This Too Shall Pass. Director: Rob Grant. Writers: Michael Simon Baker, Rob Grant. Cast: Maxwell Jenkins, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Ben Cockell, Aidan LaPrete, Jaylin Webb, Katie Douglas, Mark McKinney, Michael Ironside. This Too Shall Pass opens in select theatres October 24.