Loser is a 2000 romantic comedy starring
Jason Biggs,
Mena Suvari and
Greg Kinnear. The plot centers around Paul Tennak (Biggs), a
Dogged Nice Guy beginning college in New York City. Nearly everyone he encounters treats him like crap, except for Dora Diamond (Suvari), another student struggling to put herself through college.
The film provides examples of:
- Blatant Lies: How Paul's roommates got him kicked out. In spite of Paul being a very polite, agreeable person, who did more than his share of the chores, they painted him as a bigot with poor hygiene who left them to do all the work.
- Catch-22 Dilemma: Dora faces this when it comes to affording her tuition. She can't work more hours while she lives at home (which she can't afford to leave without making more money). She can't qualify for financial assistance unless she gets emancipated. However, she can't get emancipated unless she can prove she has a work-study and her own residence. She can't get a work-study and a residence unless she gets emancipated.
- The Dog Bites Back: After spending the whole movie putting up with his roommates bullying him, playing cruel pranks on him, and lying to get him kicked out of the dorms, Paul finally gives Adam a well-deserved "The Reason You Suck" Speech before punching him.
- Irony: Dramatic Irony, to be exact. Paul swaps his former roommates' roofies with harmless pills which not only won't hurt the women but, according to the pharmacist, might make them a little smarter. So, while the audience knows why the women at the party are alert and in no position to be taken advantage of, the roommates are left utterly confused as to why the pills didn't have the intended effect.
- Near-Rape Experience: One of Paul's roommates roofies Dora at a party, hoping to take advantage of her. He doesn't though, and she ends up passed out in the bathroom.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: The closest thing we see to Paul's roommates taking studying seriously is when they laugh at one of the pictures in their psychology book of what is implied to be an autistic person.
- Precision F-Strike: "You know what? I really don't give a fuck." - Paul to Alcott, after he refuses to let Alcott bribe him with a higher grade.
- What Does She See in Him?: Dora's relationship with Alcott. Not only is he nearly 20 years older than her, he blatantly doesn't give a damn about her.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The film ends with one of these with humorous text blurbs explaining what will happen to Paul's roommates and Alcott they all face some Offscreen Karma, then finally revealing the future of Paul and Dora themselves.
