American Teen

This film can feel contrived at times but it is entertaining nonetheless. The director may have operated under the auspices of the nouveau-doc style espoused by various MTV shows - most notably "The Hills" - in which the 'cast members' often re-enact scenes that actually did occur in their lives. The problem is that upon re-enactment, scenes and dialogue are less authentic and can come across as scripted. This is challenging for the viewer, because all the advertising material for this film led us to believe that this is an accurate portrait of the post-millennial American teenager. Despite these qualms, the film breezes by and is enjoyable enough. The band geek character Jake is worth the price of admission alone. He will drudge up any awkward teen moment that you yourself experienced but have since burrowed in the abyss of your memory banks. Just call him "The Excavator"; he's a squirm-inducing screen presence.


Written 3/9/09