Gretchen (2006/I)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Steve Collins

Writer:

Steve Collins (writer)

Release Date:

2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Gretchen has bigger problems than abysmal fashion sense: She's 17, painfully awkward and stuck in the most unforgiving place on earth - high school...

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Courtney Davis	...	Gretchen
John Merriman	...	Ricky Marichino
Becky Ann Baker	...	Lori
Stephen Root	...	Herb
Macon Blair	...	Nick Rangoon
Yasmine Kittles	...	Marla Auschussler
Peyton Hayslip	...	Miss Jennings
Soshi	...	Eugene
Andy White	...	Nathan
Hallie Martin	...	Susie
Adam Powell	...	Heinbender
Joseph Cheatham	...	Jeep
Andrea Lee	...	Burger Joint Customer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
L.B. Bartholomee	...	Principal Ackenback (as Lowell Bartholomee)
Monika Bustamante	...	Becca
Lee Eddy	...	Wolf
Sara Emami	...	Wallflower
Michelle Frey	...	Megan
Paul Gordon	...	Jeff
Heather Hanna	...	Mrs. Doobler
Jessica Hedrick	...	Jenny
Matt Hislope	...	Billy Heskitt
Margaret Hoard	...	Mrs. Nairn
Kevin Klee	...	Phil
Jenny M. Larson	...	Charlene (as Jenny Larson)
Melba Martinez	...	Miss Rhoinos
Helen Merino	...	Mrs. Lorenson
Carolyn Merriman	...	Shelly
Josh Meyer	...	Charles
Caroline Mithoff	...	Margot
Christine Moore	...	Nurse Goodale (as Christina J. Moore)
Gina Pollard	...	Candy
Carlos Trevino	...	Rich

Also Known As:

Gretchen Finkle (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Greece:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Film Science

Goofs:

Continuity: The mysterious caller tells Gretchen to meet her at the racetrack at dawn. Yet in the very next scene when Gretchen arrives at the racetrack at presumably the appointed hour, it is clearly mid-day as indicated by the bright sunlight and shadows directly underneath Gretchen and her car.

Give it a shot, its worth it

A hilarious, tongue-in-cheek depiction of an awkward girl's bad-boy obsession.

I heard this referred to as "Napoleon Dynamite with a female lead." That is accurate to a point. While Gretchen does employ the subtle, dead-pan humor that is found in the utter niavety of the main character, this is where the similarities between Gretchen and Napoleon Dynamite end.

This movie uses that humor to explore and approach serious questions of suburban life in modern America and incorporates those common themes of isolation, danger seeking (by finding that exciting bad-boy) and that snowballing phenomenon of rejection that occurs in high school.

This film is slow paced, so it is not the best choice for a party, but perhaps if you have an hour and a half to appreciate this movie and its very reserved brand of dark humor, you should be pleasantly surprised!