Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas (2006) User Reviews

This movie may be based on a cool idea, but it needed to be developed a lot more.

[lewiskendell · 5/10 · 22 July 2010]

"You killed her? No! How?! With a butcher's knife?!"

Disaffected college student Bickford Shmeckler (Patrick Fugit) has filled a book with his cool and revolutionary ideas about reality. One night at a party, beautiful kleptomaniac Sarah (Olivia Wilde) stumbles into his room, and makes off with his book of ideas. Over the next few days, Bickford frantically tries to track the book back down, while reading it has a huge affect on the lives of Sarah, an entire Dungeons and Dragons club, a horny cosmology professor, and a group of homeless nuts led by a man named Spaceman. Yes, the movie really is that random. The most random and peculiar indie comedy that I've seen in a while.   

As you can tell from the description, this is a pretty weird movie. It's low-budget, for sure. Lots of obscure tunes from college radio on the soundtrack, and lots of "alternative" humor. I found the attempts at humor to be more bemusing, than anything else. I only recall laughing out loud once (thanks to a few cameos from Reno 911! and a rape joke that came out of nowhere). If the idea of a book giving women brain orgasms sounds funny to you, then you'll be right at home, here. 

I don't really think I can recommend that anyone who's not a massive Olivia Wilde or Patrick Fugit fan go out of their way to catch this one. The movie takes a turn for the dramatic at the end that doesn't fit well with anything that came before, and the entire script just seems like it could have used a lot more development.

Just... Not Very Good

[pontoffelpock · 6/10 · 9 April 2009]

The problem with "Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideas" is that it has no potential. It has good actors, who give good-enough performances, but they are wasted on dialogue and characters that are unrealistic, sparsely funny, and never connecting with the audience.

There is just no reason to tell this story. Bickford Schmeckler loses the notebook he keeps his great ideas in, and he goes on an urgent quest to get it back. He meets new people and, surprise!, has an epiphany not generated from solitary deep-thinking. But the whole time, we know Bickford will get his notebook back, and we know he will learn something, and so we, the audience, learn nothing.

*** The rest of this comment may contain spoilers ***

The little details of this movie (people will orgasm from great ideas?), the supporting characters (some of whom irritatingly disappear with no concluding remarks), their problems (being a kleptomaniac, being gay, having schizophrenia, etc.), their heart-wrenching back-stories (playing D&D...) -- they don't matter because they are supporting something that isn't there. They will admit to some secret they have told no one else, but doing this does not affect the movie in the long run. Bickford will still find his notebook. Bickford will still get his girl and realize that great thoughts don't make for great fun. The frosting doesn't exactly matter if you forgot to add eggs to the batter in the first place.

Bickford is supposed to be an anguished genius, but he never seems to have any truly great thoughts, nor feel any truly great despair. He does not exactly fit any pre-existing archetypes (unlike most of the other characters -- the nymphomaniac, pot-addicted artist; the deep-down egocentric, materialistic musician; the gay frat boy; the easily-swayed role-playing gamer), but still feels 2-D. Bickford Schmeckler supposedly has some cool ideas, but this movie was definitely not one of them. Time and talent were squandered (and oddly advocating of promiscuous sex, but not doing drugs, even if you are schizophrenic because apparently there really are aliens living in your brain?).

But props to John Swihart for an awesome soundtrack. And look out for the song "I Don't Know" by Mushman, Patrick Fugit's (and David Fetzer's) band.

See this movie only if you like the actors enough to get excited whenever they have screen time... even if it's severely wasted screen time.

One crazy diary

[chelano · 6/10 · 3 August 2010]

The main character is played by Patrick Fugit and he does a decent job. He is a nerd that makes little things or comes up with cool ideas. He writes a book about changing the world, but cannot find the ending. His book is taken and turned into something big that makes everyone around him think including a girl he likes. The story was pretty interesting and I did enjoy it front start to find. But there were scenes thrown in that left the film boring at points. There is an OK cast for the film and I will say that Matthew Lillard was very horrible in the film. His character was very strange he could just not play him right. This is a light teen movie comedy, but at least it has a better story line than most teen comedies you see. Most rely on horrible scenes or nudity. This movie was about teen life, but actually had an interesting story to go along with it. Not a bad film.

Fun, inspiring, but not smart

[Sailinship · 4/10 · 20 September 2007]

Although I found this movie to be fun and somewhat inspiring, it might make you do that thing you've been wanting to do but haven't, it lacks real smarts. The theories he has are never really talked about in any way that will bring you to new thoughts. He just doesn't come across as a mad scientist/philosopher because he never says anything scientific or philosophical.

It does feel good because it has that angsty virgin thing who gets together with a gorgeous woman because of his ideas, and that is something we can relate to, but it's just not smart. I never heard a simple list of ideas, a rundown of why he is perplexed, a question or a theory. His character has problems to deal with, but they are revealed in one moment and then that scene is forgotten. If that is why he is so perplexed about how to be happy, then it should have been a persistent look on his face, an explanation that is revealed as to why he does things so differently than the rest of us.

This kid in the movie is not weird or even nerdy, he's regular and boring. Even his anger is silly. The one real "crazy" person in the movie, an actor who I hope will find his "reality" one day, is presented in a way that demeans what it is to be truly different. Even the not selling out idea is... Well, just not inspirational. The token gay is silly as well, his coming out comes across as disingenuous and devoid of any feeling.

I did have fun watching it though, and I suspect that that has more to do with the beauty of Olivia Wilde, who is, a stone cold fox. It is hard to watch her in any scene and not question where a woman so beautiful comes from and what exactly makes her so damn good to look at.

Definitely Worth Missing

[meaninglessbark · 1/10 · 13 December 2011]

Pot smoking is seen all through the film Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas and based on the generally pointless, rambling, and dull quality of the film it would seem that all the bongs and pot weren't set props but were equipment used to make the film.

The storyline had to be conceived while stoned, that's if it was actually fully conceived before the film began shooting. It seems just as likely that shooting began and the story was made up one bong hit at a time.

The gist of the story is that Bickford Shmeckler wrote a "book" which is so full of astounding concepts about life, the universe, and everything that it changes the lives of almost anyone who reads it. (Only the barest hint of these "cool ideas" are ever actually revealed to the audience.)

Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas isn't really sure of what sort of film it's supposed to be. At times it seems it's a moronic party comedy, at times it tries to be serious. But whatever it tries it fails on all accounts.

The characters are flat and lifeless, which doesn't seem to be the fault of the actors, it definitely feels like bad writing and direction.

The attempts at humor (which include a scene where a handful of gay slurs are shared, one sight gag with a person in a wheelchair, and a mentally ill character included for the sake of zaniness) also fail. That includes the terrible idea to name the title character Bickford Shmeckler. (I laughed once during the film, 34 minutes into it. Shortly after that the only thing visually interesting in the film happens when...SPOILER ALERT...Bickford suddenly stabs a meat fork into a cantaloupe. It was also the film's only genuine moment.)

What makes this film worth disliking is that there was a chance to explore some interesting ideas here such as people embracing pop theology/ideology in a manner that's just as mindless as their lives before exposure to the new ideas. Or people wanting to embrace trinkets such as hats and t-shirts as an expression of their beliefs. Or the discovery of a writer who doesn't want to be discovered and who definitely doesn't want to be the leader of some new quasi-religion based on his writing. In fact Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas so completely misses making a point (or even telling an interesting story) that this "story" could be turned into an entirely different, much better film.

Likable performance by Olivia Wilde

[RogerB-P3RV3 · 4/10 · 20 February 2020]

Reclusive collegian Bickford Shmeckler's (Patrick Fugit) book of self-interpretive 'cool ideas' about life and universe is precious to him but when it's stolen, the search for it opens up new world of odd characters, friendship and ultimately love. Likable performance by Olivia Wilde (Sarah) and short running time just about disguises the fact movie is a pretentious claptrap.

May seem pointless, but you have to look harder.

[Chylla · 8/10 · 23 March 2010]

I found the movie highly peculiar. I think it pretty much sums up what people search for in life. We search for answers. In the movie we see a guy who has found all the answers, and he "claims" to be happy with the discovery, but we see it very well that he is the most miserable person on earth. But he has those answers that blow everyones mind, so... he has to know something.

And than he figures it all out! Major spoiler people: there is NO theory!... The only thing you can do in your life is to enjoy it. I think thats what the movie tries to tell us. That despite of finding out the answers to all questions about being, Bickford was in pain. And when he found out he doesn't have to find out anything: he was truly happy, for the first time. Sex is not the answer, its just symbolizing joy, unconditional happiness. So thats why the movie makes sense.

I gave it an 8 because despite how great its philosophy was, it wasn't really.. "fun", and Im not saying I missed funny things from it. It just lacks the things I would want from a movie to make me give it a 9 or a 10. But I loved Patrick Fugit in it, and Olivia Wilde was also remarkable, she is adorably crazy, and Fran Kranz is one of my favorite actors so it was nice to see him in the movie.

Bickford Shmecklers' got cool ideas.

[kallyxcore88 · 9/10 · 23 July 2007]

I loved this movie. Although my opinion is biased on the fact that I adore Patrick Fugit and would be pleased with anything he was cast in. I was greatly impressed by Olivia Wilde's performance on the big screen, as I had only seen her on a few episodes of The O.C.

I found the theories in 'The Book' itself to be 'brain-gasmic' and quite thoughtful. Surly something I, myself, would have wanted to read if there were such a book published.

I gave the movie and overall 8 because, although I was excited to see Patrick, the plot was slow and I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending of the film.

A Must See!

[victoriadeitch · 10/10 · 18 March 2006]

Just spent the last 4 days at SXSW-Austin. Caught "Bickford Schmeckler Cool Ideas" and have picked it as my favorite. I can't think of any aspect of the film I had issue with. I loved Matthew Lillard as "Spaceman". Patrick Fugit was very believable and so funny. Olivia Wilde was fantastic, can't wait to see her in "Running with Scissors". The gags worked, the dialog was hilarious, the acting was great, editing was great – like I said I really can't list anything I didn't like.

This was the only film I viewed in which no one left during the screening. I can't wait to be able to see it again. If you want a fun movie that'll make you laugh you must see this film. Let's hope for national distribution!