Michael Suarez
1999’s Go is a fast-paced, action-comedy that I’ve returned to dozens of times over the past 25 years. Only recently have I begun to treat it as the Christmas film that it is. Not only does it have the setting going for it, but it’s about found families, the kind of thing a lot of people need during the holidays.
Doug Liman’s direction of John August’s script is so good. When it was released in early 1999, there were comparisons to Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, which had only come out five years prior. I can definitely see the similarities, such as a non-chronological narrative and great dialogue, but that’s all surface-level. While Go isn’t the deepest film to watch during this time of year, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
It’s an ensemble picture with a few main characters. There’s Ronna, a grocery store clerk who decides to become a drug dealer for one night in order to pay rent; Simon, who, along with three friends, embarks on a wild night in Las Vegas; and finally, there’s Adam and Zack, two soap opera actors whose night takes them one direction, only for them to be pulled in another. Each of the three main storylines forms the narrative of Go, but in truth, the film is less about the narrative than it is about young people crossing paths, bouncing off one another, and doing stupid, reckless things.
Even though I know the plot inside and out, I still get anxious watching Ronna return the ecstasy she bought, which she replaced with aspirin. I hate the situation Simon gets his friends into. And I want to yell at Adam to keep his eyes on the road and not speed in a parking lot. These might seem like negatives, but it’s all somehow entertaining. Only his second feature, Liman already feels comfortable with controlled chaos, even as his improvisational, learn-on-the-job style seems irresponsible. Regardless, given the dangerous choices and actions made by the characters in the film, it’s fitting how Liman shoots the film, as well as how Oscar-winning editor Stephen Mirrione edits it. The movie is chaotic, but it’s never confusing, and it has a non-stop feel that propels the film forward pretty consistently.
The aesthetic of Go works, too. I was never a part of rave culture, but I knew about it. Thanks to a movie like this, I could see the appeal, as well as the want to just get high and have some fun. That life was not for me, but there is something freeing about escaping the world. The real world has things like rent and the very real possibility of being evicted on Christmas. I suppose it makes sense that Ronna takes the risks she does. She could be homeless, or she could pay rent and enjoy her life. Why not rip off drug dealer Todd Gaines and keep moving forward?
The same goes for Simon’s trip to Vegas. He very quickly ends up alone after losing all of his money at a table, and he wanders around the casino and hotel, going along with whatever life brings his way. A party with cake and champagne? Why not? Two women who are ready for a threesome? Why question it? Of course, when told to keep his hands to himself at a strip club, he defies the rule, and well, he deserves what he gets, probably, even if his friends don’t. Afraid for his life, he tries to find refuge, only to face the consequences, which he’s more than happy to accept. Simon’s quite the person.
Adam and Zack are interesting, because they’re not as young as either Ronna or Simon, but they have their fair share of adventures. To start, the two of them are already in trouble with the law, having been brought in to set up an arrest. Once that goes sideways, they spend the evening with the detective in charge, Burke, and his wife, Irene. After some strange interactions, it turns out that the married couple wants to pitch them to join a multi-level marketing company, Confederated Products, which they seem to begrudgingly join. The night is just getting started for them.
They swap infidelity stories, realizing that they’ve been cheating on one another with the same guy, and then Adam accidentally hits Ronna with his car. Then, they try to figure out what to do with Ronna, only for them to dump her unconscious body on another vehicle and wait for others to find her and call an ambulance. What a night for these two!
What ultimately is the point of all of this? It’s a little complicated. I don’t believe every movie has to say something about the world. Again, Go is not the deepest film of 1999. However, I would argue that it is such a wonderful snapshot at a point in time. I suppose one could say that the characters’ actions represent the unstable state we were in as Y2K approached, that they all believe the end is coming soon, so why not just go and do…something?
Perhaps that’s a stretch. Go could simply be a film about young people being young, and to be fair, I recognize that the film is not universal by any means. I never did anything the characters in this film do, yet I was reckless when I was younger. I never did drugs, let alone sold them. Driving wasn’t something I did often, either, so I never hit anyone with one. Not to mention that I have yet to make it to Vegas. Still, there is something to being young, being with friends, and doing stupid things.
There are really only a few notable older characters in the film. Aside from Burke and Irene, I think of Victor Sr. He’s much older and a father, but he is so hellbent on finding the man who shot his son, that he, too, becomes like everyone else. He and his son chase down Simon and company through Vegas, and he delights in his son shooting Simon in the arm near the end of the film. He can rant all he wants about his son’s generation, but just how much better is he? Are older generations any better than the younger ones?
I will say this, though. Aside from the aforementioned Victor Sr., there is a real absence of parents in the film, which means there’s also an absence in family, at least traditional ones. But Go is not traditional. If the film means anything, I believe it’s about found families. Ronna has Claire and Manny; Simon has Marcus, Tiny, and Singh; and Adam and Zack have each other. Having never been alone during the holidays since I’m so close to my family, I have no experience in found families, but I’ve had friends throughout my life.
Have I ever been the kind of friend to stay at a drug dealer’s apartment as collateral while my friend makes a quick deal in another part of the city? No. Have I ever had a friend who hit someone with their car, leaving me to figure a way out of the situation? Absolutely not. But Go is told in extremes for the sake of entertainment, though I suppose it’s possible that stuff like this went on 25 years ago and still goes on today. Regardless, the point of the film isn’t about the narrative or the specifics. Anything could happen to anyone in the film. The central idea is that people find one another on Christmas.
Over 50% of people are reportedly lonely during the holidays. Now, there is certainly a difference between being alone and being lonely, meaning one could feel lonely in the middle of a crowd of loved ones or feel content while watching a movie alone. I don’t believe that Todd Gaines is lonely, though he’s more than okay spending time with Claire, even if that’s more about lust than anything. Ronna is certainly independent, but where would she be without her friends, or in a strange way, Adam and Zack?
People need people. Not all the time, but sometimes. While the holiday season puts so much emphasis on being with loved ones and spreading cheer, those with no one, whether through loss or rejection, tend to reject such traditions. I can do my best to empathize and understand where such individuals are coming from, but of course, I could never fully do that. I will say that if I lost my family today, I wouldn’t shut myself away from the world. I’d go out and be with friends, and if I didn’t have any, I’d surround myself with people.
For those who know me, this might sound like baloney. After all, being home alone is one of my favorite things. However, I’m reminded of Todd’s explanation to Claire for why he not only hates the Sunday comic Family Circus so much but why he still reads it:
I hate it, yet I’m uncontrollably drawn to it.
Maybe I don’t hate people. That’s too general, but the sentiment is there. Family Circus might as well just be family, and family might as well be the people we choose to surround ourselves with. Fights might happen, but so does love. There is no reason Marcus, Tiny, and Singh should stay friends with Simon after he puts their lives in danger, but I’m sure they will. Manny is left out in the cold overnight, but once Ronna and Claire get him in the car, he says the film’s final line:
So? What are we doing for New Year’s?
Ah, to be young. That final 30 seconds or so of Go really says it all. All of the hijinks from the previous night are in the past. Today is today. Ronna nearly dies, but she’s back at work and then leaves to find Manny. Simon gets shot in the arm, but delightfully declares, “It’s all right! I’m okay!” And Adam and Zack go on with their lives, despite coming very close to committing murder. Claire, Ronna, and Manny drive off as we get one last look at the building that held the rave the night before, just another place, a memory.
The three have one another, and that’s enough. Sure, it’s great that Ronna made enough to pay her rent, but that was never the point. Claire had Ronna’s back, albeit with some pleading involved. Manny wasn’t left behind, despite him taking some of Ronna’s ecstasy that was meant to be sold so she wouldn’t be evicted. It’s good to be around friends, to be around family.
Go is quite the R-rated ride. The cast of mostly Gen-X actors is uniformly wonderful, while Sarah Polley remains the standout for me. I’ve always loved her. As for the music, I used to listen to that soundtrack from beginning to end throughout high school. It’s pretty fantastic. All in all, the film screams the late ‘90s, and that’s okay because what it has to say about found families is timeless.
Rather than be alone, go out and do something. Tomorrow will come whether we want it to or not. We might as well go, have some fun, and in the case of the film, enjoy the holidays.
