‘Everybody Wants Some!!’ is a Blast to the Past

By Francine Brokaw

Do you remember 1980? “Everybody Wants Some!!” is a film set in 1980 and with all the attention to the details, it is just like stepping back in time. The hair, the clothes, the attitudes, and the way of life are brought to the screen just as they were 38 years ago.

This is the story of a college baseball team in Texas. The whole film takes place during the weekend before school starts, which is the time the young men are bonding with each other in preparation for their the school year and the new team.

Sex, drugs, baseball, and testosterone are at the forefront of this movie as the college guys meet and form relationships that will take them through their school days and beyond. Although they are all there to play baseball, they are just as interested in partying, women, and having a good time. After all, it’s their college days and they have their lives in front of them.

For those of us who clearly remember 1980, this is a film that takes us back in time. For younger viewers, it’s just a look at the past through the eyes of the baseball team.

1980 was the year Ronald Reagan ran against Jimmy Carter. Everything was different then, especially the clothing. Men wore tight pants. Hairstyles were different. Colloquialisms were different. Gestures were different. And what makes this film work is that writer/director Richard Linklater is an expert about the era. He made sure every detail was exactly what it would have been 38 years ago. In one of the bonus features the cast discusses Linklater’s encyclopedic knowledge of the mannerisms and language of the past. Just think about it. A high five was almost nonexistent back then. There were no personal computers, no Internet, no texting, and no cell phones. This was a different time and the film is a great representation of that time.

Another bonus shows the audition tapes some of the cast submitted. Outtakes and behind-the-scenes looks at the film show how much fun the cast and crew had making the movie, which was filmed entirely on location in Texas.

The story is quite raunchy. After all, it’s about young college men. But it has a fun quality about it. And it is a fun look at how we all dressed and talked back in the day. “Everybody Wants Some!!” is now available on DVD and Combo Pack.