THEY WERE STANDING by the fountain in the middle of the block long park. If anyone noticed who they were they did not show it. I was sitting at a park bench and spotted them immediately as they came into view. It was a celebrity couple with their young child; both of them were actors, one in movies and the other did movies and television. My first feeling was surprise, surprise they were by themselves without an entourage. Despite their celebrity status they were walking around like your average parents taking their kid to the park. My curiosity about them was limited to finding out if they were pleasant, stuck up, funny or if they could form a complete sentence and carry on a conversation. I was not interested to hear if they had an opinion on world affairs or product endorsements. In fact, it offends me when celebrities use their status to share their thoughts and opinions on subjects far removed from their daily lives.     THERE IS A FINE line that separates admiration and obsession. It used to be getting a celebrity’s autograph was the ultimate prize. These days it seems as if people want so much more out of their celebrities. Look at the plethora of commercial products being promoted by celebrities. Better yet look at the effect social media has had on the relationship between fans and stars; one comment by a screen actor can send an army of fans on the warpath. It borders on the bizarre for me. I am not interested in knowing where a celebrity shops or eats; it does not interest me to know where they have been or who they are dating. Now I will admit regarding the celebrity couple I mentioned earlier, I did ask my 5 year old relative to go over and try to play with the couple’s child so I could mosey on over; but, all I wanted to do was strike up a casual conversation and perhaps mention I have reviewed their movies. I guess that sounds self-serving doesn’t it? Oh no, am I turning into a celebrity stalker?     FEELING LIKE AN outcast Ingrid Thorburn, played by Aubrey Plaza (Safety not Guaranteed, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), found the life she was meant to lead. To get it she just had to become friends with a social media celebrity. This film festival winning, comedic drama also starred Elizabeth Olsen (Wind River, In Secret) as Taylor Sloane, O’Shea Jackson Jr (Straight Outta Compton) as Dan Pinto, Wyatt Russell (22 Jump Street, Everybody Wants Some!!) as Ezra O’Keefe and Billy Magnussen (Into the Woods, Bridge of Spies) as Nicky Sloane. I found the script for this story to be smart and heavy on the satire. Aubrey was perfect for the role; though I have to say from the few things I have seen her in, she appears to stay in the same comedic lane with her style. The rest of the cast did a great job as well and helped gave this story some biting depth. There were times when I noticed my mind started to wander away from the story, but I believe it was due to me not being able to relate to any of the characters. When I left the theater I needed to give more thought to the movie as a whole and realized it really provided a scathing take on society’s obsession with social media and celebrity status.

3 stars