Disturbing Behaviour (1998)
"Disturbing Behavior" (original title)

The new kid in town stumbles across something sinister about the town's method of transforming its unruly teens into upstanding citizens.

Director:

David Nutter

Writer:

Scott Rosenberg

Stars:

James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Tobias Mehler

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Marsden	...	Steve Clark
Katie Holmes	...	Rachel Wagner
Tobias Mehler	...	Andy Effkin
Nick Stahl	...	Gavin Strick
Steve Railsback	...	Officer Cox
Bruce Greenwood	...	Dr. Edgar Caldicott
Katharine Isabelle	...	Lindsay Clark
William Sadler	...	Dorian Newberry
Ethan Embry	...	Allen Clark
Terry David Mulligan	...	Nathan Clark
Susan Hogan	...	Cynthia Clark
A.J. Buckley	...	Charles 'Chug' Roman
Robert Moloney	...	Ferry Guy
Derek Hamilton	...	Trent Whalen
Dan Zukovic	...	Mr. Rooney

Storyline

After the suicide of the teenager Allen Clark, his family decides to move from Chicago to the quiet Cradle Bay Island seeking a peaceful life for the siblings Steve and Lindsay Clark. When Steve joins the local high-school, the outcast Gavin Strick befriends Steve and introduces his also rejected friend Rachel Wagner to the newcomer. Gavin exposes to Steve in the refectory the punks, the nerds and the different tribes of the school and he defends the weird theory that a sinister force changes the behavior of the annoyingly perfect "Blue Ribbons", a group of good students that wear identical jackets and gather in the Yogurt Shoppe. Further he tells that he had witnessed the blue ribbon Andy Efkin killing their schoolmate Mary Jo that is missing and the local Officer Cox covering the murder. Steve does not believe on Gavin words, but when his friend is submitted to the treatment of Dr. Edgar Caldicott and immediately changes his behavior, joining the Blue Ribbons, Steve and Rachel ...

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Plot Keywords:

high school | jock | blue ribbon | jacket | teen | 

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Taglines:

It doesn't matter if you're not perfect. You will be.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, sexuality, language, and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

Australia USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Perturbados

Filming Locations:

Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$7,070,714 (USA) (24 July 1998)

Gross:

$17,411,331 (USA) (25 September 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Village Roadshow Pictures, Hoyts Film Partnership

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The personifications of good and evil in the town are named Newberry and Caldicott, which happen to be the names of the two prestigious book prizes awarded by the American Library Association for Excellence in Children's Books (one for novels and one for picture books).

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Goofs

When Gavin leaves the building after seeing his parents want him go join the club. He is walking on a log and talking but his mouth does not move.

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Quotes

Dickie Atkinson the Mechanic: [awkwardly] You had friends in Chicago?
Steve Clark: Yeah.
Lorna Longley: You can have friends here.

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Crazy Credits

If the opening credits are watched frame by frame, 2-3 frame bursts are seen that are relevant to the story. These depict the process by which Dr Caldicott performs his operation, including a shot of a slow moving needle and an eye that has been clamped open.

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Connections

Spoofs The Stepford Wives (1975)

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Soundtracks

"Ever She Flows"
Written by Treble Charger
Performed by Treble Charger
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label of BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

Disturbing but entertaining

Steve and his family move from Chicago to Cradle Bay (which based on a road sign is outside Seattle). We later learn his brother Allen died, and that has something to do with the move. At his new high school, he meets Gavin and U. V., who take drugs and listen to depressing heavy metal music. Gavin has the hots for Lorna, but she's a Blue Ribbon, a member of a group of students that help out in the community and help each other study. Gavin wants nothing to do with these people.

It turns out the Blue Ribbons aren't as goody-goody as they first appear. To call them snobs is an understatement. Anyone who isn't a member is treated like dirt, but of course new members are accepted all the time. The organization had its beginning with a deadly car wreck, and Dr. Edgar Caldicott played a large role in getting it started.

This film reminds me of an episode of 'Smallville', except only the villains (who appear to be the good kids) have the super powers. Or maybe they're not actually super powers. This film had its own version of Belle Reve, where all the Smallville freaks seemed to end up eventually. Also, there was the loud alternative rock music in some scenes and the pleasant classical-style background music in others. I really liked the music in Roscoe's Yogurt Shoppe and in the asylum (I'm referring to Barry Manilow).

I actually found the bad kids appealing in this movie--Gavin, Rachel, and Dickie in particular. The real standout character, though, is the demented janitor Mr. Newberry, who comes across as if Gilbert Gottfried had played the Bill Murray role in 'Caddyshack'. Another good though brief performance came from Julie Patzwald as Betty Caldicott.

This was a little on the violent side, but I guess for the type of movie it wasn't too bad. A lot of bad language seemed to have been cleaned up for TV. And I'm not sure whether this is something that was edited out, but in one scene, the position of a girl's head relative to her date suggests something that happened in Bill Clinton's White House.

It wasn't a classic by any means, but it wasn't too bad.