'Teen' skillfully finds raw drama inherent in adolescent life
By Phil Villarreal
Pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.04.2008
As much reality show as documentary, "American Teen" takes the pulse of four high school seniors in Warsaw, Ind.
In the manner of "The Breakfast Club," there's a cruel, popular girl, a selfish jock, a flighty artistic type and a morose, geeky loner.
The film proves that no matter how popular you are, adolescence is mostly abject agony.
When you're teetering on adulthood, making decisions and undergoing trials that will resonate the rest of your life, you're not really sure of who you are or where you're going. "American Teen" nails this essence of instability.
Filmmaker Nanette Burstein ("On the Ropes," "The Kid Stays in the Picture") filmed more than 1,000 hours during the 2005-2006 school year, catching her subjects in candid, soul-searching moments, as well as triumphs and despair.
Some of her scenes are so perfect they're almost certainly re-enactments, and some of the cutting and framing and sound are as refined as what you'd see on something like MTV's admittedly staged "The Hills."
To get the most out of the film, it's best to put aside any doubts about Burstein's process and appreciate the stories for their innate drama and raw pathos. After all, it's a given that the presence of cameras would disrupt any natural discussion. A documentary consisting only of distant observation and scheduled interviews would have been a bore. Burstein aims to capture high schoolers in the wild, shoving ethics aside to get the juiciest material possible.
As a result, you witness acne-ridden, video-game-addicted Jake Tusing being dumped by his girlfriend as she texts someone else. You tag along with entitled drama queen Megan Krizmanich as she vandalizes a boy's house. You shudder as basketball star Colin Clemens is told by his dad that he must join the military if he doesn't earn a college scholarship. And you peek into the bedroom of crushed aspiring filmmaker Hannah Bailey, who is unwilling to go to school after being dissed by her boyfriend of two years.
Burstein breathes life into what she sees as the kids' inner visions with insightful animated sequences, each created in a style that matches the teen's personality. For instance, Tusing's romantic fantasy is played out like a video game, and Bailey's inner torment comes to life like a gothic "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
Nothing's fabricated about the tears-streaming emotion Burstein captures with her brave if reckless film. "American Teen" is a doctored snapshot that nails the angst, hope and spirit of an emerging generation.
0 Comments on this story
