The To Do List (2013)

Aubrey Plaza is Brandy Klark, a character whom could not be any more different than her signature role of April Ludgate on the great, late Parks and Recreation. Brandy is intelligent, well-spoken and organized. She is prepared to go to Georgetown in the fall, after graduating at the top of her high school class, though many can't believe she's still a virgin. She doesn't really care until her friends, Wendy and Fiona (Sarah Steele and Alia Shawkat) take her to a minor rager against her will. There she sees the super hot, older Rusty Waters (Scott Porter) whom she instantly develops a large crush on. It is then she is determined to do things leading up to her losing her virginity to Rusty.
She is organized, writing everything down, even if she has no idea what it means and gets to work.
The film meanders around things, including her summer lifeguarding job with her lazy boss, Willy (Bill Hader) who has no problem hazing his new employees. She has no emotions when it comes to her list and even lets Wendy's ex, Duffy (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) dry hump her. Wendy is very upset but Brandy doesn't really understand why it is that big of a deal as no emotions were involved. She ruins her friendship with the kind Cameron Mitchell (Johnny Simmons) as he has feelings for her but she doesn't in return. And yes, eventually she does lose her virginity to Rusty, though by this time everyone knows about her list. With Rusty's reaction to it, I thought things were going to go differently, but I was wrong. In the end, Brandy realizes that sex can either be a big deal or not, depending on how you approach it.
I also liked Rachel Bilson as Brandy's sexually experienced older sister who dumps her fiance and takes her sister's advice, a man is not needed, she can support herself. They also had the funniest scene with Amber listening to the phone conversation of Cameron asking Brandy out on a date and the two sisters got into a fight. Connie Britton and Clark Gregg kill it as Brandy's parents.
Now, I didn't truly understand why the film took place in 1993, though the music was good and it was weird not seeing the characters constantly on their cell phones. And I wish the film told a better message but at least they made the ride enjoyable. The ending should have made a better impression and Brandy should have learned something more important and relevant. But she was in control of herself and was a strong character. I'm glad she mended fences with her friends and decided that they were more important than any guy, which is always refreshing to see. Grade: B+