‘American Teen’ interesting documentary
ROBERT LEBZELTER / Video Viper for July 10, 2009
f you are a fan of those fictional movies about life in an American high school, you should be fascinated by the real thing.
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That's because Nanette Burstein's documentary following five teens in a Warsaw, Ind., high school almost looks like a fictional teen drama, rather than a documentary. It's called “American Teen.”
She follows the kids during good times and bad, from the most popular girl and the king of the basketball court to the acne-faced band geek.
Each has his or her cross to bear. Each has pressures, placed externally or internally.
Some of their problems don't seem that crucial to adults, but to these kids at this time, they are.
Hannah Bailey loses her first boyfriend when she agrees to have sex. She becomes so distraught she can't bring herself to return to school, jeopardizing her graduation.
Colin Clemens is the basketball star pushed harder and harder by his father, who by night is an Elvis impersonator. (Could anyone make this stuff up?) Dad tells Colin he must perform on the court to get that scholarship or there will be no college. It will be hello Army.
Mitch Reinholt is handsome and popular and becomes drawn to the messed-up Hannah.
Megan Krizmanich is the super popular girl who is pressured to make the grade in order to attend Notre Dame University. The only member of her family who didn't make Notre Dame was her older sister, who went down in the basement and killed herself.
Jake Tusing is the bando who is terribly shy, has a perpetually broken-out face, but vows to find himself a girlfriend.
He finds one with a new girl to the area who doesn't know his reputation for geekiness. But that relationship quickly falters.
Burstein gets to know her subjects. We learn nobody has it as good or as bad as it is perceived.
You also wonder how she got such full access to the school. We are there when the school counselor tells Hannah she needs to be back in school or she won't make it.
There is a riveting scene where her dad gets her in the car and they head for the school. Hannah tries to convince him one more day and she will be ready to go back. But he perseveres. He gets her to the front of the school, gets out and opens the door. But she simply can't face the school.
We see the kids talking and having fun. We see them drinking.
We learn what happens when one girl sends a topless photo of herself to two different guys and how the picture is sent and resent and resent and resent to many, many, many others. Burstein also incorporates little bits of animation into the film which really aren't necessary. Her documentary skills and the kids' stories carry this movie nicely. Find out about what high school is like, not in trendy California or New York, but in the heartland of the nation. Heck, it's almost Ohio. It's Indiana! AMERICAN TEEN • Written and directed by Nanette Burstein • Rated PG-13 for language, drinking, smoking and sexual material • Runtime: 95 minutes • 4 stars out of 4
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