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American Teen (2008)
14 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Impressive, innovative, 24 January 2008
Author: ArizWldcat from Ogden UT
This was the only documentary we had a chance to see this year, and we picked well! I found myself getting so absorbed in the stories of these 4 mid-western teenagers that I forgot temporarily that they were actual people. It is unbelievable that the director was able to catch these kids on camera saying and doing the things they did. One of the characters was so unsympathetic that we wondered why on earth she would act the way she did. I can't help but wish the director had included a "what are they doing now" note at the end. These kids are the same age as my oldest daughter, and perhaps that's why I felt connected to them, but I truly do want to know if they followed through with their plans. We also enjoyed the occasional lapse into animation the film included; some were funny, some were disturbing, but we felt they were well done, if a bit slick. This was by far our favorite movie of the 10 we viewed at Sundance this year. I wish the director had been able to come for Q&A.
6 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
American Teen is a deep yet fun documentary. Check it out!, 29 June 2008
Author: Cinexcellence from United States
American Teen, the latest documentary from Nanette Burstein (The Kid Stays in the Pictures / On the Ropes) is equally fascinating and moving. It follows the senior year of four High School students in Warsaw, Indiana. Burstein and her crew chronicle the lives of the students closely, capturing rare moments of beauty, truth, and doubt.
Although I really liked the film, it took me a while to get into it. It starts on their first day of school, and when we're first introduced to the main subjects, they seem cliché. You have the basketball jock (Colin Clemens), the popular girl (Megan Krizmanich), the artistic, liberal girl (Hannah Bailey), and the self-professed nerd (Jake Tusing). I'm watching a documentary about High School and they're focusing on stereotypical teens? Great. After a while, however, I realized that there's so much more to these people than meets the eye.
Along those lines, I was interested in Colin Clemens' story, especially with regards to his father. His father is very up-front about the fact that he can't afford to put Colin through college after he graduates from High School. He basically says that he has two options. The first is to get a scholarship from basketball, and the second is to join the Army. You'd expect Colin's father to be overbearing, pushing Colin to do well in basketball, but he isn't. I was impressed with the love he showed throughout the film. It was very uplifting and genuine.
As a documentary, it is indeed quite an impressive undertaking. I heard that they ended up filming over 1,000 hours of footage over a 10-month period of time. Nanette Burstein said in an interview that they had other subjects, but due to different problems, etc. they ended up with only four. I think it worked out well in the end. I'm not sure if I could have handled watching a documentary involving that many people. I felt like I knew each person individually by the end of the film and felt sorry to see them go.
At times it seemed like Burstein was waiting for the fantastic to occur, to be ready to capture it on film. When those moments do come, they really are awesome and penetrating. There are moments when I felt embarrassed, as if I were reading a friend's diary or personal letter. In those moments, the façade is pulled back and you see glimpses of real people in real life situations. Those moments helped quell my questions about how aware they are of the cameras recording their every move. I'm sure some of what was on-screen was a show, but underneath it all they seem very honest and open.
The film is largely made up of filmed instances in their lives, b-roll of their surroundings, and interviews with each individual. Sometimes scenes of computer animation, which I didn't think worked, would accompany these interviews. I thought that they successfully helped to convey visually what each person was talking about, but it really took me out of the experience of watching a film.
This film reminded me of "7-Up", an on-going series by Michael Apted. Starting in 1964, they documented the lives of seven-year-old British students from differing backgrounds and asked them what they thought about government, their future, etc. They have continued to get together with the same subjects every seven years. The last segment, 49-Up, was release in 2005. Both "7-Up" and American Teen show us different economic perspectives and backgrounds.
American Teen is a great fly-on-the-wall experience. Looking at the different lives of these students I see parts of myself in each one of them. There's a lot to learn from observing others; the decisions they make and the ones they don't.
I hope Nanette Burstein takes note of Michael Apted and decides to do a follow-up to American Teen several years from now. That would be fascinating.
9 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
You want to stay with these kids forever, 13 March 2008
Author: larry-411 from United States
In the documentary "American Teen," which had its Regional Premiere here at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival on the heels of an auspicious Sundance debut, filmmaker Nanette Burstein chronicles a year in the life of a group of high school students from Warsaw, Indiana.
On the face of it, it seems like we've seen this before -- the popular girl, All-American jock, shy pimply geek, and wild child -- growing up and dealing with the overwrought, overblown, magnified time of life that is adolescence in rural America. But this is 2008, and issues that were never raised in the past, or were overlooked -- mental health, self-acceptance, peer pressure and the need to fit in -- take on a new, frightening reality in this day of Columbines and nooses and hatred taken to unheard of levels. The consequences of ignoring what our teens are saying are more frightening than ever before.
Yet Burstein's subjects are a refreshing dose of a reality we don't see on television -- yes, these kids are troubled and in need of support, but they also demonstrate an impressive capacity to heal themselves. They are smart, streetwise, and comfortable in their own skin. They are smart, funny, and adorable. They have more to teach us about the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves than we may be willing to admit.
Ultimately, they grow on us because we've all been there, if not one then a combination. There are more awww moments than one can count and, in the end, we want to stay there in Warsaw, Indiana.
4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Okay, but not great, 9 July 2008
Author: hawaiialin from United States
A mediocre movie that depicts a series of true life characters in their senior high school year. Unfortunate for the viewer that wants to see a more in-depth understanding as to why the teens behavioral patterns are how they are depicted - the writer/director fail(s) at showing why the most successful teens have the gift of having non-broken "quote on quote" normal families. Not much perspective in to family backgrounds, though hard to do in approx 1.5 hrs of film. I feel for Hanah's character, she seems like a very bright yet confused girl, and Jake was my favorite, perhaps because I felt like him at times in my high-school years, though my circumstance was quite different, being the only Caucasian boy in my school.
Some points missed are a character of a substance abusing person, most schools have them as well ; and teacher-student bonding, which is much more prevalent in closely knit communities like the one in this movie.
Final review: boring at times, too shallow, not enough character depth.
5 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Required viewing for parents., 3 March 2008
Author: meads from United States
We saw "American Teen" twice over the weekend at the True/False (documentary) film festival in Columbia, Missouri. It was an amazing, in-depth look at today's teenager. My 14 year old went with us to see it and her comment? "It was very accurate." One of the top films of the festival. Shows the pressures teens face today in a very honest way, full of raw emotion and real tears. Every teenager and every parent of a teenager should see it. It is eye-opening and thought provoking. The director was here for Q & A afterward and she confirmed for us that one of the teens, after getting a job on the west coast, decided it wasn't for her and moved to the east coast (!) where she is now attending a less expensive film school!! The others are still doing what they were doing at the end of the film (i.e.-attending college).
8 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Really just awful..., 22 June 2008
Author: smakawhat from Washington, DC
I couldn't help but watch this film and think how incredibly empty it was. When if anything it should be the opposite.
The makers of American Teen place themselves in the lives of a classes senior year of school. We are to witness the usual cliques of several teens who go through the growing and learning pains of life.
In the end though, the dramatic moments and the loud soundtrack, quick editing, sound bite moments end up making the real people in this film come across as caricatures in their own movie.
The film is bombastic and in your face, when it needs to step away and tone down. When the intimate or poignant moments are described in someones life, it becomes flashy and gimmicky with distracting animations.
When it's suppose to poignant, its 2 sentences and over. You really don't get to know these kids other than what is described in the first 10 minutes of the film.
Scenes are played out of teenage life that everyone can relate to, but with the cameras around, it feels forced and coerced, regardless of whether the incidences are true to life. Someone is dumped by text message on their cellphone, so how do the film-makers capture that in real-time??? You get the sense the viewer is being cheated. A documentary is suppose to let the story unfold by itself, at it's worst American Teen actually becomes "predictable".
The idea of getting into a high school and capturing every detail of intimate moments with the kids, seems to have created a world that almost feels like its scripted when the cameras are around, and overly dramatic, when it doesn't have to be.
All the senior adults in the movie that are related to the kids (parents, teachers) even come across as nothing but pure buffoons who we don't get to know either.
It really does feel like the film-makers project some sort of ideas as to how this one town is a template for every high school in America, when it's really not that simple.
In the end though I wouldn't discourage people from seeing it, but the American teen is way more complicated than this, and the film-makers just haven't got it.
0 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A lonely sock…American Teen, 22 July 2008
Author: babubhaut from buffalo, ny, usa
While watching this film, you will find a piece of yourself in each of the students followed around whether it the nerd, the outcast, the jock, or the prom queen. As Brian's paper states at the conclusion of The Breakfast Club, we all have a little of each clique inside of us, it is just a matter of being confident in yourself to let those traits out when surrounded by those you don't think of as your crowd. I started reliving moments from that time in my life, good and bad, sparked by the events occurring on screen—things I may not have even thought I remembered too. Just because these are kids graduating six years after I did, in a school with technology my friends and I never dreamt of, (Texting in school during class? What the hell is texting?), all the craziness, emotion, pressure, and fight to either conform or be as different as possible definitely remains the same.
The great thing about this film is the utter candidness everyone involved portrays. These kids do horrible, horrible things to each other and yet none of them fear the camera they confess to. Everything is documented from moments amongst a group, confessionals alone with the camera, texting and phone conversations, even drinking binges in San Diego. I would love to see something on the DVD release showing everyone's reactions to watching it all for the first time, whether they realized some of the things they did when they happened and if they feel any remorse now. It is all very genuine in most instances. Sure guys like Jake Tusing play to the camera to make him seem as dorky as possible and Mitch Reinholt performs for the filmmakers as he winks and talks to the camera while trying to get Hannah Bailey's attention at the gas station, but it is all still their personalities coming through. My favorite has to be Miss Perfect Megan Krizmanich, though. She is so self-absorbed that everything going wrong has to be the fault of everyone but herself. Does she drive her friends away? Of course not, they abandon her. I feel sorry because that is just whom she is and how she was raised to be the best and go to Notre Dame like her father and siblings before her. It really is too bad because when we get to see the true her come out, as she speaks about her sister's death, you can see the compassion that she hides deep down so as not to ruin her ice princess façade.
Nanette Burstein has crafted a highly enjoyable film with equal amounts of poignancy and laugh out loud moments. Her film is very funny, both in intentional and unintentional instances. Following these kids around for an entire school year, especially one with so much importance as senior year, the last seconds before going off into the real world of work, college, or the army, could not have been an easy task. It must have been even harder to edit down all the footage into the seamless progression we are shown. There is no true lead, besides the main four of Megan, Jake, Hannah, and basketball star Colin Clemens, and Burstein is never afraid to linger on the characters hanging out in the periphery. Some of these friends and acquaintances outshine the stars because they just interact with each other and never try to extrapolate their feelings for the camera. A guy like Geoff Haase or Megan's friend that likes him or even Hannah's best friend, always there for her, (I forget his name but he is such a mystery because you never get his reaction to it all, whether he has feelings for Hannah or if they truly are just friends), are the most intriguing.
Credit the parents, or the filmmakers for duping them, because to show some of the things going on takes some guts. We are privy to what could have easily been a felony/misdemeanor, underage drinking at private homes as well as bars and clubs, and some very cruel activities. You have to feel for Erica as her naked pose to the boy she liked spread like wildfire throughout the entire student body—I guess Vanessa Hudgens isn't alone. And times like Megan's party, when her two best friends put the moves on each other, seeing things get out of control. Screaming matches, tempers flaring, and even a face slap escalate what was a pretty chill get-together. For the cameraman and Burstein to be able to just sit back and watch, unknowing whether the anger rose because they knew they were on film and wanted to go all out, must have been tough. I know I would have wanted to step in and calm things down, especially being the adult when underage drinking is going on.
I really enjoyed following these kids around, reminiscing about the "hardships" my friends and I had in high school. We look back now and realize how easy we had it; despite thinking our lives were rough and stress ridden then. For a teenager, high school drama is all you have, your image is king and if you don't like yourself, times can be very tough. I wonder what happened to Jake, which reinvention he chose for Wisconsin; whether Colin excelled at Indiana Tech's basketball program; and how Hannah, the person I related to most being the middle of the pack, friends with all yet not quite included anywhere, dealt with her year in California and if she finally went to college. I hope everyone does well and maybe use this film experience as a way to see who they really are, altering themselves if necessary to be the best they can.
0 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
the perfect movie, 4 July 2008
Author: peppersaresohot from United States
What makes American Teen so unique, surprising, and different is that it's not your average high school movie. Everything in this movie is all real, not re-enacted, but is actually going on, people can relate to this. What makes it so special is the fact that an event like when you watch those dumb TV shows where the jock gets the scholarship for basketball actually happen in this movie and with that realization makes this the perfect movie. It comes to show people how high school is the time when everyone is worrying about what everyone thinks about one another, this movie proves that point. Its something adults can look back on and younger teens to prepare for. To make it even MORE special is the solution to everyones stories. What must also be appreciated is the tremendous editing of the film. I mean can you imagine trying to cut down 1 whole year of real life film into a 2 hour movie? American Teen is a great movie!
0 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A well thought out film, 26 June 2008
Author: Erika Benites from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I took my thirteen year old daughter to see this movie last night and it was a decision well made on my part.
This was part of the Los Angeles Film Festival so we had a DJ and a band from the U.K. playing before the screening (nice way to keep up with the movies' "theme"). They also gave out buttons with all the different stereotypes that are portrayed in the movie (Geek, Jock, Mean Girl, Slut, Freak, etc).
This movie is a pretty good view into what high school is all about. There was the "bitch", the rich spoiled little girl that got what she wanted, when she wanted it. The "Jock" who's life is sports since he was raised with that purpose in life. The "Nerd" who plays in the band and spends time playing video games and wishing for a girlfriend, the "Freak" who was unlike everyone else in her small town. Sounds pretty standard right? But the difference with this film is that it showed another side to these teens. The bitch had her weak spot (and a surprising one it is), the jock breaks down in tears at one point, the nerd gets the girl and loses the girl, and the freak shows that there is more to her than meets the eye (as corny as that may sound). The movie is not a sermon but actually a realistic glimpse into the lives of these teens without judging them (this is left to the audience to do or not do).
They also use animation in parts of the films that I TRULY enjoyed, especially the one for Hannah. This is something that some will enjoy while others may not. In my opinion it only added depth to what the characters were describing at the time.
Judging by the "ohhhhh's" and "awwwww's" in the crowd this film really pulls you in and the characters are some that you will either come to love or come to hate, and this my friend is what makes any movie great!
0 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Great Movie, 2 June 2008
Author: JonSobocinski from United States
I did security for a premier on this movie a couple of days ago. It was hard to do my job, making sure nobody was recording this movie because it was such a great movie. I recommend everyone sees it. Its funny, interesting, enthralling, true, and really shows the heart of teens today. Also, the director who was at the premier, did an amazing job filming this and getting to the main issues facing teenagers today. Like I said above, I really think everyone should see this movie. Its one of the first documentaries I really enjoyed. Two thumbs way up for American Teens!
- Jon
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