Unless you happen to have been living under a rock this past week, you’ve probably heard a little something about the Massively Successful Kickstarter Campaign to convert Veronica Mars from long-defunct television series to Movie for the Me Generation.
So, now that us long-time VM fans finally have our movie, the logical next question is: “What’s it going to be about?”
Series creator Rob Thomas has wasted little time providing us with a surprisingly detailed answer to that probing question.
A 10-year high school reunion? A high-profile celebrity murder? A “friend” of Veronica’s accused of a crime he (probably?) didn’t commit? It’s like all the best plot points of Season 1 of the series, rolled into one awesomely pint-sized package! Kind of like Veronica herself . . .
And let us not forget the most important thing. Logan Echolls . . . he’s SINGLE ladies!
Having a Dead Girlfriend will do that for you . . .
Now, while the general film plot points are already in place, there’s still quite a bit of speculation to be had, about what sort of things we can expect to see in this film. Of course, certain aspects of the film are already a given. Here are a few things I am 100% positive will appear in the Veronica Mars Movie:
1) Cast Cameos Galore
Nothing says fan-backed film like a full-on cast reunion. Obviously, no Veronica Mars film would be complete without the likes of Logan Echolls, Keith Mars, Wallace Fennel, Mac Mackenzie, Dick Casablancas, and Weevil.
But what about fan favorites, like the hilariously ruthless Vinnie Van Lowe?
Deputy Leo (or as many of know him better, Schmidt from New Girl)?
Logan’s troubled sister, Trina?
That hilarious chick from Freaks and Geeks?
And JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS as The Crooked CIA Agent, who inadvertently brought about the first Logan/Veronica kiss?
But with every character we’d love to see return to the series, there are a few we’d just as soon relegate to the video vault, never to be seen again . . .
Like, for example, almost all of Veronicas and Logan’s annoying (why even bother trying) temporary love interests . . .
Piz . . .
Parker . . .
Hannah . . .
That Drug Dealer Dude, who dated Veronica for three episodes . . .
Pretty much, all of Wallace Fennel’s love interests . . .
That character played by that chick from The Hills . . .
And the “B from Apartment 23” (Sorry Krysten Ritter!)
2) Celebrity Cameos that (hopefully) do not include Paris Hilton
Though the Veronica Mars cast was mainly comprised of young, talented, unknowns, who were still waiting to get their feet wet in Hollywood, quite a few well-established actors made notable appearances on the show, including, but not limited to . . .
Leighton Meester . . .
Kevin Smith . . .
Paul Rudd . . .
Michael Cera . . .
Alyson Hannigan . . .
and Joss Whedon . . .
We already know from Rob Thomas that Logan will be dating a pop star. Wouldn’t it be great if a real-life pop star took on the role, in a self-deprecatingly exaggerated version of herself? Someone like Carly Rae Jepsen, perhaps, or Taylor Swift, maybe even Britney Spears . . .
What celebrities would you like to see featured in the new Veronica Mars movie?
3) Veronica Mars’ trademark snarky voiceover narration
One of the things I always adored about Veronica Mars as a character, was her distinctive voice. When done incorrectly, voiceovers can be an annoyance, distracting from, and hindering the main plot, with needless exposition. But, somehow, Rob Thomas managed to make Veronica Mars’ voiceovers a welcome, and necessary, addition to the series. They made you feel closer to the main character, almost like you knew her personally. I’m hoping that Thomas opts to continue this trend, during the film.
4) Oodles of Super Sweet (but not too sappy) Daddy / Daughter moments
Most shows geared toward a teen audience tend to substantially minimize the roles of any character over the age of 30. Parents usually exist on these shows, solely as an impediment to the action of the main plot. They ground the characters, to prevent them from going to the parties they need to attend. They disapprove of their significant others. They razz them about their grades and poor school attendance.
Not so, for Veronica Mars. As a young P.I., adults were an integral part of Veronica’s world. They were her clients, suspects in her cases, and, sometimes, they were her friends. But no adult was more important to Veronica’s life than her father, Keith Mars. There was just something so real, and authentic about this daddy/ daughter relationship. Unlike many TV parents, Keith Mars was a good dad. He cared about his daughter, and related to her, not only as a guardian, but also as a friend, confidant and colleague.
Now, that Veronica herself is an adult, I can only imagine that her and Keith Mars will come to regard one another even more as equals. And I look forward to seeing their relationship develop, during the film.
5) Flashbacks, flashbacks, and more flashbacks . . .
Since one of it’s main characters was a corpse . . .
Veronica Mars was a TV series that spent a lot of time in the past. Hazy, dreamlike flashback scenes, became a mainstay of the show, often offering important insight into current character motivations, and, sometimes, even invaluable clues for solving the murder mystery at hand.
Considering that The Veronica Mars movie will be taking place ten-years after the series’ conclusion, I suspect we will be treated to plenty of flashbacks that will fill in the blanks as to what Veronica, Logan and company have been doing during all these long, lost years . . .
6) Off the charts LoVe sexual tension!
Ahhhh, LoVe . . . sweet, sensual . . . dysfunctional, destructive . . . LoVe. It’s no secret that I’ve always been a big fan of this pairing, which still ranks right up their in my uber competitive list of the Top Ten TV Couples of All Time.
LoVe fans were left with a bit of an ambiguous ending for this star-crossed duo, in the series finale of the show, which left off with the characters definitively separated from one another, but still making googly eyes at one another from across a crowded lunchroom . . .
Based on the premise of the film, Veronica and Logan have not yet experienced their happily ever after. We learn right off the bat, that Logan has been in as series relationship with someone else. And Veronica’s love life, for the time being, still remains a mystery.
But with a 10-year high school reunion looming large over their heads, and Logan in desperate need of Veronica’s sleuthing services, one can only imagine that this scorching couple will be falling into one another’s orbits once again. And we all know what happens when these two come into close contact with one another . . .
Here are a few other VM plot points that may / or may not make their way to the silver screen:
1) A Surprise Mac / Dick Coupling?
She’s a cynical computer whiz, raised by a blue-collar family, despite having come from silver spoon roots. He’s the arrogant, airheaded son of a white collar criminal, and the brother of a murderous sociopath.
A match made in Heaven, this was certainly not . . . And yet, there was just something about these two that made you wonder if Rob Thomas was contemplating coupledom for them, had the series continued on for a fourth and fifth season.
Perhaps, The Veronica Mars Movie will enable these polar opposites to finally attract . . .
2) A Ghostly Lily Visitation?
Though virtually unknown as an actress prior to receiving her role as the mysterious, complex, and deeply flawed, Dead Best Friend Lily on Veronica Mars, Amanda Seyfried is now, pretty much a household name, having landed major movie roles in films like Mean Girls, Les Miserables, and the critically acclaimed television series, Big Love.
When your character is killed off a television show, bringing you back for the reunion is always a challenge. But if there is a way to do it, rest assured Rob Thomas will find it . . .
3) Veronica’s return to Mars Investigations?
Given how heavily Veronica’s FBI aspirations were featured in the show, and how much time she spent working as a private investigator for her father’s firm, I was a bit surprised that that Rob Thomas ultimately decided to make her a lawyer. For one thing, it’s a pretty hefty departure from Thomas’ original ideas for the show’s fourth season.
I’m thinking there’s a sob story behind this radical career change. And if that’s the case, there’s a strong possibility that Veronica’s film happily ever after might set her back on her original path . . .
Speaking of Happily Ever Afters . . .
4) Love for Keith Mars
From alcoholics to married women to Wallace’s mom, Keith Mars was no stranger to messy, doomed, relationships. Will The Veronica Mars Movie finally bring TV’s Favorite Dad his perpetual Plus One? Here’s hoping . . .
And finally . . .
5) A Veronica / Logan Endgame?
Movie makers are artists. But they are also, to some extent, hired hands, who are struggling to earn a paycheck, just like the rest of us working stiffs. I’m sure you’ve all read the stories about the film creator who was forced to compromise his vision at the hands of the Big Studio Suits, whose hands were holding the purse strings. Substitute those four or five Big Studio Suits for 55,000 intense TV fans, and you’ve got an idea of what Rob Thomas is up against, when he’s deciding how to properly conclude the Veronica Mars saga.
Given that, I honestly can’t imagine a scenario in which Rob Thomas doesn’t conclude this film with a Veronica and Logan Happily Ever After. And, I for one, am THRILLED that this is the case . . .
But here’s the thing, when you care about a TV couple, as much as I care about Veronica and Logan, you want what’s best for them. So, my hope for this story, is that the inevitable Veronica and Logan reunion is written in such a way that feels authentic and true to the characters . . . not like something that was just slapped on to the end of the movie, because the writers felt like that was what fans wanted.
Obviously, a Veronica and Logan coupling is going to have complications, given the amount of offscreen time, during which they’ve presumably been apart. And, of course, let’s not forget, the whole, “Logan’s Got a Dead Rockstar Girlfriend” thing . . .
Of course, we’ve survived Logan’s Dead Girlfriends, before. Despite Lily remaining a strong presence in both Veronica’s and Logan’s lives, the writers somehow managed to make the development of Veronica’s romance with her dead best friend’s ex-boyfriend feel genuine and not cheap. But can lightening strike twice in this spot, especially when so much time has past?
All fingers crossed . . .
So, tell me, Veronica Mars fans, what kinds of things are YOU expecting / hoping to see in the upcoming feature film?
Let's Go Shopping!
Buy Comeuppance!
Buy Hollywood Warlock!
Buy InGENEious!
Buy Life Sucks, Death Bites!
Buy Me and You, Inc.!
Snarky Goes to Hollywood!
The Exquisite Corpse
TV Recappers Anonymous 