American Teen
Best known for her documentary, The Kid Stays in The Picture, Nanette Burstein’s Sundance sensation, American Teen, opened last week, taking a stab at capturing our country’s high school years. Perhaps there is never a time in our lives where the experience is so varied. She wastes no time introducing us to her four main squeezes, each one falling into certain accepted stereotypes cemented by John Hughes in the 80s. Despite the story arcs, animated sequences, and stylized editing, what separates American Teen from The Breakfast Club is that it is an allegedly non-fictional account of senior year.
After a grueling selection process that involved ten high schools and hundreds of students, Burstein finally settled on Warsaw, Indiana and a pocket of students from various social circles as the film’s centerpiece. While the film blurs the lines of what is classically considered cinema verite, it pulls you in with extremely likeable characters and an engrossing plot that keeps you rooting heavily in their favor.
From the very first scene the energetic, youthful soundtrack captures the 2005- 2006 school year with the Black Kids’ hip single “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance.” We are introduced to basketball superstar Colin Clemens, who can only afford to attend college via a sports scholarship; Jake Tusing, a band geek who’s all too aware of his lack of social skills and romantic shortcomings; Megan Krizmanich, overachiever and Little Miss Popular who’s as beloved as she is reviled; and artsy misfit/antihero, Hannah Bailey. We learn of each character’s goals and unexpected challenges along the way. Colin, trying to impress colleges recruiters, ends up compromising his team’s success as well as his basketball future. Megan jeopardizes her attempt to uphold the family tradition and attend Notre Dame by partaking in heavy-duty misdemeanors like vandalizing her classmate’s house.
The most arresting character and one who steals the film is Jake. He sulks around onscreen spewing pearls of wisdom that would have Judd Apatow and Diablo Cody salivating. He unabashedly asks out every girl that so much as glances in his direction and is seemingly complacent with his role as band geek in high school life. In a crafty recreation of The Legend of Zelda featuring Jake as the protagonist, he melancholically informs us “I wish life was like video games. Then I’d always get the girl.” As Jake traipses around his room in search of an article of clothing he takes the opportunity to wax poetic: “That’s me. I’m one sock. I need to find my missing sock.” Or on a lighter note when taking his first shot of alcohol with his older brother he asks only half-jokingly, “So, the idea is to drink the whole thing. Not sip it, right?”
The film works best when portraying teenager/parent relationships. Megan is just trying to follow in her family’s footsteps and gain her dad’s approval. Colin, on the other hand is trying to get into college so as not to end up like his dad, an Elvis impersonator. When informed by her son that “they always make fun of me”, Jake’s mom is ill equipped to comfort him or at least provide some motherly advice. Hannah, who suffers a few bad breakups, doesn’t mesh well with her classmates and just wants a fresh start; she gets in touch with her with her inner-Angela Chase, boasting her teen angst capriciously throughout the narrative in one of many onscreen fights with her parents about traveling to California, Hannah yells defiantly, “I’m 19-years-old. I can take care of myself!”
After a grueling selection process that involved ten high schools and hundreds of students, Burstein finally settled on Warsaw, Indiana and a pocket of students from various social circles as the film’s centerpiece. While the film blurs the lines of what is classically considered cinema verite, it pulls you in with extremely likeable characters and an engrossing plot that keeps you rooting heavily in their favor. From the very first scene the energetic, youthful soundtrack captures the 2005- 2006 school year with the Black Kids’ hip single “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance.” We are introduced to basketball superstar Colin Clemens, who can only afford to attend college via a sports scholarship; Jake Tusing, a band geek who’s all too aware of his lack of social skills and romantic shortcomings; Megan Krizmanich, overachiever and Little Miss Popular who’s as beloved as she is reviled; and artsy misfit/antihero, Hannah Bailey. We learn of each character’s goals and unexpected challenges along the way. Colin, trying to impress colleges recruiters, ends up compromising his team’s success as well as his basketball future. Megan jeopardizes her attempt to uphold the family tradition and attend Notre Dame by partaking in heavy-duty misdemeanors like vandalizing her classmate’s house.
The most arresting character and one who steals the film is Jake. He sulks around onscreen spewing pearls of wisdom that would have Judd Apatow and Diablo Cody salivating. He unabashedly asks out every girl that so much as glances in his direction and is seemingly complacent with his role as band geek in high school life. In a crafty recreation of The Legend of Zelda featuring Jake as the protagonist, he melancholically informs us “I wish life was like video games. Then I’d always get the girl.” As Jake traipses around his room in search of an article of clothing he takes the opportunity to wax poetic: “That’s me. I’m one sock. I need to find my missing sock.” Or on a lighter note when taking his first shot of alcohol with his older brother he asks only half-jokingly, “So, the idea is to drink the whole thing. Not sip it, right?”
The film works best when portraying teenager/parent relationships. Megan is just trying to follow in her family’s footsteps and gain her dad’s approval. Colin, on the other hand is trying to get into college so as not to end up like his dad, an Elvis impersonator. When informed by her son that “they always make fun of me”, Jake’s mom is ill equipped to comfort him or at least provide some motherly advice. Hannah, who suffers a few bad breakups, doesn’t mesh well with her classmates and just wants a fresh start; she gets in touch with her with her inner-Angela Chase, boasting her teen angst capriciously throughout the narrative in one of many onscreen fights with her parents about traveling to California, Hannah yells defiantly, “I’m 19-years-old. I can take care of myself!”
While the film claims to typify the quintessential American high school experience, the cast is White and hailing from a Red state and fails to represent the diversity that exists in America’s constantly changing social and political landscape. While the film only personifies white Christians, it does indulge in the possibility that opposites can attract. “Did the orbit of the Earth just reverse or something? Did the axis tip to the other side?” Hannah deadpans when reflecting on her budding yet short-lived romance with the wildly popular chick-magnet, Mitch Reinholt. Through it all, however, perhaps its worst enemy is the film itself—the tightly packaged and neatly presented narratives take away from the effort’s larger goal of authenticity.
Nevertheless, Paramount is giving the film a full treatment, promoting it throughout the summer almost ad nauseam. With an extensive website, a Facebook page that features blogs provided by the characters and even a T-shirt contest, they are trying to create a phenomenon that resonates with today’s youth along the lines of Juno or Superbad. While it is certainly an ambitious effort, only time will tell if they succeed.
As the credits roll, we see a more recent picture of each teenager along with a blurb that they have written about themselves since film has wrapped—it seems to be the only part of the project where the characters had complete control of how they were portrayed. A common theme that permeates throughout each of their updates is that they regret many of the decisions they have made in high school and swear that they are all different now. In a world of Jamie Lynns and Mileys, Burstein’s documentary offers a restorative, tamer look at today’s youth. It’s refreshing that some teenagers can make mistakes and then regret the decision they have made. High school is our formative years, but we are able to change our ways in the future too.
Throughout their triumphs and pitfalls, however, it is often difficult to discern fact from fiction. When Hannah copes with a devastating breakup by gathering her thoughts alone on a bridge you can’t help but wonder if the kids’ reactions are genuine. “I can’t go back to school anymore, I can’t see him,” she offers only half-convincingly. Colin’s computer screen reads “Sorry You Lose”, conveniently referring to his game of solitaire as he details his shortcomings on the court. Although you can’t deny Burstein’s nifty editing and clever camera tricks, they sometimes compromise the integrity of the film. Trade in K-Mart and Mickey D’s for Coach and the Ivy and the film might play like an episode of Laguna Beach. As long as these American Teens are self-aware and comfortable as role models, art imitating art can impart a positive, constructive image to the Myspace Generation.
Nevertheless, Paramount is giving the film a full treatment, promoting it throughout the summer almost ad nauseam. With an extensive website, a Facebook page that features blogs provided by the characters and even a T-shirt contest, they are trying to create a phenomenon that resonates with today’s youth along the lines of Juno or Superbad. While it is certainly an ambitious effort, only time will tell if they succeed.
As the credits roll, we see a more recent picture of each teenager along with a blurb that they have written about themselves since film has wrapped—it seems to be the only part of the project where the characters had complete control of how they were portrayed. A common theme that permeates throughout each of their updates is that they regret many of the decisions they have made in high school and swear that they are all different now. In a world of Jamie Lynns and Mileys, Burstein’s documentary offers a restorative, tamer look at today’s youth. It’s refreshing that some teenagers can make mistakes and then regret the decision they have made. High school is our formative years, but we are able to change our ways in the future too.
Throughout their triumphs and pitfalls, however, it is often difficult to discern fact from fiction. When Hannah copes with a devastating breakup by gathering her thoughts alone on a bridge you can’t help but wonder if the kids’ reactions are genuine. “I can’t go back to school anymore, I can’t see him,” she offers only half-convincingly. Colin’s computer screen reads “Sorry You Lose”, conveniently referring to his game of solitaire as he details his shortcomings on the court. Although you can’t deny Burstein’s nifty editing and clever camera tricks, they sometimes compromise the integrity of the film. Trade in K-Mart and Mickey D’s for Coach and the Ivy and the film might play like an episode of Laguna Beach. As long as these American Teens are self-aware and comfortable as role models, art imitating art can impart a positive, constructive image to the Myspace Generation.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
