Veronica Charms

Last updated on: March 14, 2014 at 6:22 am by Elizabeth Whyte

Veronica Charms 2014-03-14T06:22:27-06:00 Elizabeth Whyte

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Veronica Mars, directed by Rob Thomas

A lot of people really, really like Veronica Mars.

There are several ways I have deduced this: 1) All my friends who talked about the TV show, even before it was a movie, and even though its last season ended seven years ago 2) The 91,585 people who raised more than $5.7 million to make a movie based on the show — the most backers of any Kickstarter campaign, ever, and 3) The plenteous hoots and hollers and other joyous exclamations I heard throughout the film when I saw it with a dozen or so press reviewers and, apparently, hundreds of Veronica Mars fans.

Though it only lasted three seasons, Veronica Mars the TV show was the perfect mashup of brainy whodunit, delicious high school drama, and witty talk-filled television. Its multiple-episode mysteries, along with shorter ones, kept audiences guessing, and the surprising grittiness of the show kept it from being a sugary dud: In just the first few episodes, Veronica’s best friend is murdered; her mother abandons the family; and she is raped at a party. She learns to cope with these tragedies by helping her dad solve cases at his private detective shop in Neptune, California, as well as taking on a few of her own mysteries.

Fast forward 10 years, and it’s time for the movie. Veronica (Kristen Bell) has just graduated from law school, has a happy relationship with a very nice boyfriend, and is interviewing with high-powered New York law firms. She’s happy she left behind seedy Neptune, her private investigation days, and the drama they brought with them. But then she gets a call from back home: Her ex-boyfriend Logan (Jason Dohring) has been accused of murdering his celebrity girlfriend. Veronica flies out, just to help him pick a defense attorney, but soons find herself back to her old ways, snooping around houses and sneaking peeks at documents, convinced that Logan is innocent. She ends up embroiled in multiple mysteries and at odds with the corrupt sheriff’s department, wondering if she can still shake her addiction to private investigation and get out of Neptune for good without leaving her Logan, for whom her feelings are complicated, on the hook for murder.

Veronica Mars is unapologetically a fan movie. Multiple beloved characters return, even if for short appearances. Reference after reference is made to the original TV show. And *SPOILER ALERT* Veronica ends up with the guy that audiences were clearly hoping she would end up with.

But, surprisingly, it’s also a fun watch for people who’ve never seen the show, or who have only seen a few episodes, like me. It’s suspenseful; it’s playful; it’s funny; it’s fast but not too fast. A few surprise cameos are a delight, from people like James Franco, NPR’s Ira Glass, and Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell’s real-life husband. And it packs the punch that so many good detective shows have: Justice is done.

Veronica Mars made me want to watch all the TV episodes and then re-watch the movie.

It made me one of those people who really, really like Veronica Mars.

Previous Post

March 12, 2014

Gates Unhinged

Next Post

March 14, 2014 Driving Fast with Nowhere to Go

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Action AFI Top 100 Animation Best Picture Winner BFI Top 250 Biography Biopic Books Childrens Christian Classics Classics Comedy Crime Documentary Drama Editor's Choice Family Fantasy Fantasy Films Foreign Historical Historical Fiction History Horror Horror IMDB Top 250 Indie Memoir Modern Novel Musical Mystery Non-Fiction Oscars Philosophy Poetry Popular Literature Reading and Writing Reality Romance Science Fiction Science Fiction Silent Sports Thriller TV Show Uncategorized Western Westerns Young Adult

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Abba" literally mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Father Lord Parent My God