Peoples (2009)

Director:

Joseph Ardery

Writers:

Joseph Ardery (writer)
Manuel De Seixas Correa (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A coming of age story following one summer in the lives of three friends in Louisville, KY.

Plot Keywords:

Interracial Relationship

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

John Hensley	...	Oliver Anderson
Joshua Harto	...	Patrick Wilshire
Billoah Greene	...	Sorn Jackson
Elizabeth Chase	...	Abby
Sam Freed	...	Mr. Anderson
Travis Brown	...	Jerome Jackson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph Ardery	...	Wyatt
Ron Jeremy	...	Strip Club Announcer
Kathryn Rossetter	...	Mrs. Anderson
Kathy Searle	...	Racist Girl
Jessie Winn	...	Sorn's Girl #2

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Company:

Peoples LLC

Hi-8 Quality quasi-decent take on contemporary parent-sponsored 20-something malaise.

Kind-of a cross between every other college-age coming-of-age movie and the Saddle Club. The realism to the script (if there was a strict script), film-type, and tight camera work might make the film worth watching. The actors really could be any contemporary knuckle-head kids somewhere between high school, college, and general delinquency funded by mom and dad. Almost an entertaining documentary or session of "reality TV".

I almost wonder if the actors weren't taking some percentage of the drugs they were portraying to have taken. They certainly understand the mindset they were supposed to be portraying. Possibly not to the extent that Depp and DelToro did, but enough for this film. Perhaps the most cogent, coherent character was "The black guy"(TM). But rather than serve as a plot device, he held the film together. He's probably the most respectable youth character in the film, though this doesn't say very much.

Many issues are approached by the film's writing: Spoiled kids & botched parenting, drug use and abuse, racism, social classes, and sexuality/interpersonal relationships. In fact, this might be required viewing for parents of children in the late teen/early twenties set who have not yet found their niche. It's less contrived and more effective than films like "Thirteen", "Havoc", "Bully" or "Manic", though in the same vein. Possibly a statement on today's youth who's parents give them just enough financial support to keep them from having to learn responsibility or even parents who give enough to allow their kids to destroy themselves for lack of actual any sense of realistic need or direction.