Movie Review: American Teen
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We love documentaries. Big ones. Small ones. From Michael Moore to Werner Herzog. American Teen is not up to par with the best of them, but it tries hard to get us there and gets an “A” for extra credit. Director Nanette Burstein makes a valiant effort to give us an in-depth look at high school in the middle of Americana.
Shot for a year in Warsaw, Indiana, we see the entire film through the eyes of four students. Colin – The jock, Jake – The geek, Hannah – The misfit, and Megan – The princess. Yes, it does sound like The Breakfast Club, and for good reason. The film has been heavily marketed across the county, selling us these characters with all of their convenient labels to convince you to shell out your $9.75. This is where the film falters and loses its footing a bit. It’s hard to imagine that these teens fit into specific categories so conveniently as Ms. Burstein wants us to believe.
There have been a few rumors floating around about the kids being manipulated or that some of the scenes were scripted. It’s hard to watch without getting a sense that “The Hills” had some influence on the final product. American Teen is at its best when we see the stars of the film at their most vulnerable moments.
Hannah is clearly the star here. She wants to be a filmmaker herself and her inner demons are portrayed in real sparse moments. Her scenes work the best because of her openness and the candid challenges that mount around her. There are also some interesting animated sequences throughout the film and Hannah’s are the most rewarding and memorable.
Megan is portrayed as the bitchy popular girl and we get a sense towards the end of the film, that she is more complicated than that. When we find out about some of the tragic events from her past, it seems superficial and not enough to justify her actions.
The adults in the film are played up for laughs. From Colin’s Elvis impersonating Dad to Hannah’s impossibly clingy family, it’s hard to know if they’re playing it up for the camera or really sincere about their own neurosis.
In the end, American Teen is a Cotton Candy documentary. It’s fun and easy going down, but after it’s all over, you won’t feel too satisfied. If you have a couple of hours to kill, you can check it out at The Mayan Theater.
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