The Sterling Chase (1999)

Three college students compete for an award that will determine their future.

Director:

Tanya Fenmore

Writers:

Jeremy Dauber (story), Tanya Fenmore (screenplay)

Stars:

Andrea Ferrell, John Livingston, Irene Ng

Cast

Credited cast:
Andrea Ferrell	...	Melissa
John Livingston	...	Matt 'Bunz' Bernstein (DJ, U-BNZ)
Irene Ng	...	Cathy
Sean Patrick Thomas	...	Darren
Jack Noseworthy	...	Todd
Devon Odessa	...	Chris
Nicholle Tom	...	Alexis
Alanna Ubach	...	Jenna Marino
Gary Wheeler	...	Dean Huffley
Terry McCrea	...	Wolfgang Boy
Tony Devon	...	Mr. Marino
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefano Altieri	...	Pizza boy / pizza delivery guy
Yuri Bershadsky	...	Java House Server
Jeff Cambron	...	Chadley Glee Club
Tim Crum	...	Student

Storyline

48 hours until graduation 1999 at Chadley University. Three students are competing for the most prestigious achievement, the Stirling Chase Award. Jenna (Alanna Ubach) is having trouble coming to terms with her deep-seated fear of intimacy, in particular the advances of one 'Bunz' Berstein.Alexis is the budding senator whose lesbian relationship and deaf roommate are conveniently used in her quest for 'open mindedness'. As the graduation ceremony approaches the third nominee, Darren, is forced to make a choice between forwarding his career or staying true to his friends and himself. Nice ending where each character parts with at least a bit of their ignorance.

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Plot Keywords:

graduation | lesbian | deaf | college | footsie under the table | 

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Taglines:

It's not all Pomp and Circumstance...

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including sex-related dialogue, and for some nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Graduation Week

Filming Locations:

Bryn Mawr College - 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Indyssey Entertainment, Weinberg Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References With Honors (1994)

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Soundtracks

Heartbeat
Written by Christopher H. Knight and Julie Simon
Performed by Christopher H. Knight

User Reviews

A unique look at the entering of the real world ...

There is something unique about The Sterling Chase; it is almost devoid of any cliches. Oh sure there a couple of cliches in one of the romances (but when is romance not a cliche?), but usually a story involving young adults calls for lazy, lazy writing. Everything is black and white, the author's attempt to gray areas end up being transparent and obvious, etc., not in this film. Something is brutal and honest about this fictional college for the rich, elite, and intelligent. Each one the characters up for the school's most prestigious award is no carbon copy. Their turmoil is not your simpleton's teenage angst. Dawson's Creek never saw problems this realistic. It isn't so much in the originality of their problems because of course, teens and young adults all suffer similar problems, but it is how they react and deal with these problems. When the story can go the soft, predictable way, it takes a sharp left and drops another bombshell on these troubled kids. I wouldn't go as far to say it is unflinching, because it is not. But the script doesn't pull all of its' punches either.

The most impressive thing about the script is that these kids don't talk like idiots, they talk like bright kids, aware of many things but unaware of true and honest human relationships and the real world. All of these characters are at a crossroads in their lives as they finally leave all of their securities behind, it shakes them to the core and they all have to find a way to deal with it. But in their quest, there are no truly stupid actions, immature decisions, or contrived conflicts. It is so rare to have a "teen movie" rely on character development, but this film attempts to focus on how these kids are feeling, why they are feeling it, and use that feeling to feed the story and move it along. For the most part, the film succeeds.