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| Movie Review: American Teen Alternate Title: High School Confidential
Story: Raise your hand if you
miss your high school days? Director Nanette Burstein's
tweaked documentary will remind you why you do not miss those long ago
misty days. The film follows four archetypes that are all too familiar
- the jock, the bitchy prom queen, the band member nerd and the artsy
outsider. Have you figured out which character represents you best?
Or maybe you are some combination of all four.
We follow these four kids from Warsaw, Indiana
as they live through (or survive) their senior year of high school.
What college will they be accepted into? Who will they go to the prom
with? Will depression, nasty text messaging or revenge do them in? Will
their behavior go on their permanent record and ruin their lives? All
of these dramas plus parental screw-ups, relationship break-ups and
mini-hook-ups make up the groundwork of this universal story.
The film, while flawed, is engaging and by the
rolling of the credits, where we learn what these kids have done in
the two years since graduating high school, we care. We really do.
If you are as far away from high school as I
am, all you probably have left is a tattered yearbook and skewed memories.
Check out this movie and be happy you lived to tell your own tale of
your high school days. “When I look back on all the crap I learned
in high school It’s a wonder I can think at all.“ (Paul
Simon).
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDG4UDeFoQ And more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujhdf9_IO4w Acting: Hannah Bailey, Megan Krizmanich, Jake Tusing,
Colin Clemens and Mitch Reinholt are all genuine kids (even if at times
I thought they were over-acting).
Trivia: Director Nanette Burstein studied film at
NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is co-owner of the Manhattan bar,
The Half-King.
Predilection: I like documentaries.
Critters: Surprisingly not one.
Food: Kids eat mostly junk.
Sex Spectrum: Lots of chatting about 'BJ's' and titties,
but nothing seen on the screen.
Blatant Product Placement: It is a documentary. It
does not apply.
Soundtrack: Very appropriate
Opening Titles: A nice opening segment to introduce
you to senior year.
Visual Art: My favorite touch were the nauseating
inspirational banners that hang throughout the HS halls. There were
also a few animated segments that were enjoyable but do not advance
the story much at all. Theater Audience: Three guys who were closer to their
HS memories than I was,
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: Teenagers are very mean.
Drift Factor: I drifted a bit in the middle. Predictability Level: High
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine. Have
your HS yearbook nearby to laugh or cry.
Length: 100 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 7
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