Bang Bang You're Dead (2002)

Trevor is a troubled high school student, thanks to the effects of bullying. This is the story of his fight to break free.

Director:

Guy Ferland

Writer:

William Mastrosimone

Stars:

Tom Cavanagh, Ben Foster, Randy Harrison

7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cavanagh	...	Val Duncan
Ben Foster	...	Trevor Adams
Randy Harrison	...	Sean
Janel Moloney	...	Ellie Milford
Jane McGregor	...	Jenny Dahlquist
David Paetkau	...	Brad Lynch
Eric Johnson	...	Mark Kenworth
Kristian Ayre	...	Kurt
Brent Glenen	...	Zach
Gillian Barber	...	Principal Meyer
Eric Keenleyside	...	Bob Adams
Glynis Davies	...	Karen Adams
Ryan McDonald	...	Vanderhoff
Chad Faust	...	Alex Lumberman
Andrew Sabiston	...	Mr. Olson

Storyline

For the most part it's a tale of an adolescent, Trevor, who gets picked on a lot at school. Not as much as he used to, because the year before he called in a phony bomb threat, complete with a working bomb (minus anything that would actually explode). Because of this, parents and teachers are afraid of him, and his fellow students generally avoid him, except for a group of outcasts called the "Trogs". As violence by the Jocks against the Trogs escalates, Trevor is the suspect for anything gone wrong, even though he didn't necessarily do anything. One teacher is willing to give Trevor the benefit of the doubt, and casts him in a highly controversial play about (what else?) school shootings. It all comes to a head as some other students create a plan to bring guns to school and kill everyone in the cafeteria.

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Plot Keywords:

columbine | troubled teenager | bomb | violence | high school | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for elements of violence

Details

Official Sites:

Icarus / William Mastrosimone

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 2008 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

Bam kai kato!

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Showtime Networks, Viacom Productions, Jersey Guys Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Val: This play is the best way to know how to look into a kid's heart.

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Connections

Featured in Beyond Clueless (2014)

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Soundtracks

On A Misson
Performed by Sucker Pump

User Reviews

one last shot

It's great to see a movie you think is going to be just awful ... and then is anything but.

The film amazed me by taking the issues of high school kids seriously, even those of kids who are about to commit the worst carnage imaginable. One of the best ways of perpetuating a problem is turning those affected by it and those who do bad things into angels and devils. Bang, Bang, You're Dead rejects this out of hand and gives everything a shade of grey, yet moves back, forgivably, from the logical climax to make a point about the theatricality of school life, much like the play on which it is sort-of-based.

It takes troubled kids out to kill seriously, gives them respect and tries to talk to them - and lets them talk, a lot. It is also a genuine drama, and takes no prisoners when it comes to depicting adult hypocrisy and aloofness. That's pretty subversive. Put it all together and you have a ready-made whipping boy for America's right wing. Yet it is this film that anybody who gives a damn about this kind of situation must see.

This makes it sound like a 1950s advisory film where parents and kids would watch what horrible consequences befell reckless teenagers. But it's much more than that: it's a cunning advisory film for everyone. Nobody comes out clean, but everybody is given the chance to become clean again.

The MPAA gave this an R rating, which is further proof that this pathetic star chamber of industry insiders ought to be disbanded.