Bird's Eye View

American Teen DVD review

Marcie MacLellan reviews…

American Teen

Dir, Nanette Burstein, USA, 2009, 97 mins
Starring: Hannah Bailey, Colin Clemens, Jack Tusing
DVD out now

Some people loved high school. I was not one of them. Not because I didn’t fit in. I did. Not because I didn’t have a boyfriend. I did. Not because I didn’t do well in school. I did. In fact, I couldn’t really tell you why I didn’t like high school. That is, until last night, after watching American Teen.

Nanette Burstein’s documentary, now available on DVD, is set in Warsaw, Indiana. Filmed in such a way that makes you wonder if you’re watching truth or fiction, the story focuses on four students in their final year of high school. It comes as no surprise that each character fits into the clichés we all know so well - the jock (Colin Clemens), the geek (Jake Tusing), the rebel (Hannah Bailey), and the princess (Megan Krizmanich).

In fact, so perfectly was it cast, some of the film’s critics were dubious of its sincerity. Without getting into the age-old debate of whether documentaries truly follow the action or manipulate it, I can’t blame them. After all, Hollywood had once led me, a then naive Canadian, to believe that all English men would be as bubbling and charming as Hugh Grant, saying words like ‘whoops-a-daisy’ with surprising ease. And so too have opinions been formed about the stereotypical American high-schooler. So really, these characters seemed too good to be true.

Maybe I’m just a softie, but here’s the thing. Despite its clichés, despite the drama suspiciously caught on camera at every turn - this movie feels so heart-achingly real. Having gone to a high school very much like the one in which this film is set, I could relate to just about everything. Except, thankfully, for the choreographed moves on the dance floor.

This surreal sense of reality isn’t an accident. Burstein (The Kid Stays in the Picture) threw herself into this project, quite literally, living alongside a handful of seniors in their last year at the only high school in town. Tracking their every move for almost a year, Burstein waited for the moment when these teens would break free from their self-imposed high school roles. The moments were brief when they came, but made the movie all the more worth watching.

“All we have to do is figure out who we are and where we’re heading in life,” says Hannah, the arty-rebel who so desperately wants to fit in that she plunges into depression when her heart is broken by the oh-so-typical heartthrob. Sadly, she has no idea how inherently cool she already is - the kind of cool Megan can’t buy at Abercrombie and Fitch.

Still, no matter how different they are from each other, their worries are the same as many teens. Concerns about getting into college, falling in love and making the most of what is supposedly ‘the best year of their lives.’ Which means, by the time they graduate, you’d be hard pressed not to care about them - yes, even the bitchy Princess, who I vowed not to like from the start.

The only flaw? It ended too soon. While there are brief snippets about where the foursome ends up after graduation, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next. In fact, as the credits rolled, I was already longing for the sequel. Fortunately, the DVD offers special features that include brief interviews with each of the ‘stars’ of the film, post celebrity status.

I have to say though, I did find myself breathing a huge sigh of relief when it was over. Despite noticing a few (more) grey hairs earlier that day, I was suddenly thankful that my high school years are well behind me.

In the end, I found American Teen engaging and extremely relatable. And as for why I didn’t like high school, I found my answer. If there’s ever a place where you can’t completely be yourself, where you have no idea what’s going to happen next and where people would rather label you than understand you - it’s high school. Fortunately, the year is over and these kids have the rest of their lives ahead of them.

DVD out now at http://www.optimumreleasing.com/dvds.php … or win a copy by entereing BEV’s DVD giveaway competition, thanks to Optimum Releasing!