The Tao of Steve

Tao_steveIndie cult classic The Tao of Steve is showing over the next few days on IFC — perfect for our forecast rainy weekend here in the NorthEast.

I’ve always thought it was a great unknown date movie, along the lines of Chasing Amy or Kissing Jessica Stein (excellent script, great characters, very likable cast).

If you haven’t caught it yet, the film is a charming romantic comedy about the prolonged adolescence of a paunchy womanizing slacker named Dex. The "Tao" are Dex’s actual rules for how to seduce women, based upon the worldly wisdom of 3 famous Steves: McGarrett, Austin & McQueen.

Guys tend to love the first half of the movie (for obvious reasons); Its where the secrets of the Tao of Steve gets explained. The second act is all about why us guys have it so wrong. Its really a great date movie, but for your own sake, try not to whoop it up too much at an inopportune moment (trust me on this).

Indeed, let’s not kid ourselves — this is a chick flick. A rambunctious, charming rougue, an immature womanizing Man/Boy — a guy’s guy — ultimately gets broken and domesticated by love. Hence, why the missus will enjoy it, too. 

Tao is one of those flicks made so much better by a killer soundtrack (think Garden State or Desperado). Weird Triva: A song on the Tao soundtrack, Superman by Lazlo Bane, became the Scrub’s Theme Song.   

The closest thing in a mainstream Hollywood version of the Peter Pan syndrome is either the Jack Nicholson/Dianne Keaton vehicle, Something’s Gotta Give, or Matthew McConaughey Failure to Launch.

Neither of those are remotely as likable as the Tao of Steve

Enjoy!



DVD here

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What's been said:

Discussions found on the web:
  1. sport commented on Jan 12

    I LOVED that movie.

  2. Eclectic commented on Jan 12

    Well, okay… but if you’re wrong I’m a-gonna hold a grudge.

  3. jjr commented on Jan 12

    Barry, did you intentionally neglect to include the Steve’s last name? The thing that distinguishes this movie to me is the writing.

  4. Barry Ritholtz commented on Jan 13

    The Tao refers to 3 Steves: Steve McGarrett, Steve Austin, Steve McQueen

  5. Mike B commented on Jan 13

    Does liking this movie make me a fat fatist?

  6. Mike B commented on Jan 13

    I think the closest comparable to Tao of Steve is Swingers, although Swingers is a much better movie IMHO.

    – They both deal with guys setting up rules for getting a girl.
    – They both came out within a few years of each other.
    – They both are low budget indies.
    – The lead character in both learns that rules aren’t the way to get the girl he should want in the end.

  7. Eclectic commented on Jan 14

    Fun movie… good music… thanks for the lead in.

  8. James commented on Apr 16

    Become that guy that she “needs to have tonight”. It doesn’t matter if she is “unavailable” or in a different age group…if you want her, you can have her.

    What If I Told You That You Would Bring The Woman Of Your Dreams Home Tomorrow — And You Would Barely Even Need To Say Anything To Her?

    YOU will seduce ANY girl easily—> Discover the UNSTOPPABLE method to bring any woman home in 60 seconds – guaranteed.

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