Normal Adolescent Behavior (2007)

Wendy and her friends avoid the heartless world of random hookups and friends-with-benefits by spending all their time together. When she meets Sean, Wendy is torn between her genuine affection and desire for him and her commitment to her friends, especially her best friend Billie: and Billie isn't interested in losing her friends.

Director:

Beth Schacter

Writer:

Beth Schacter

Stars:

Amber Tamblyn, Ashton Holmes, Kelli Garner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amber Tamblyn	...	Wendy
Ashton Holmes	...	Sean
Kelli Garner	...	Billie
Daryl Sabara	...	Nathan
Laila Liliana Garro	...	Ann (as Julia Garro)
Kelly Lynch	...	Helen
Edward Tournier	...	Jonah
Stephen Colletti	...	Robert
Raviv Ullman	...	Price
Hilarie Burton	...	Ryan
Sean Haberle	...	Bill
Gloria Crist	...	Abby
Elizabeth Nolan	...	Allyson
Scott Coffey	...	Philosophy Teacher
Shane McAvoy	...	Philosophy Student

Storyline

In a suburb populated by wealthy and liberal parents who want a bucolic life for themselves and their children, Wendy, Billie and Ann are seniors at the alternative private school; they spend all their time with fellow students Jonah, Price and Robert. The six have been friends since elementary school and their friendship has become a six-person monogamous relationship. They swap sex partners each week; their loyalty is to the group, not to one person. The six friends don't want to survive high school - they want to transcend its pettiness. Their friendships are intense, especially between Billie and Wendy. After orientation, Wendy meets Sean, a new senior who moved from Chicago; he finds out about her "inner geek" and she quickly recognizes a kindred spirit. Soon their friendship becomes romantic and Wendy is torn between her genuine affection and desire for Sean, and her commitment and belief in the group. Wendy starts to test the boundaries of her vow to her friends, and Billie ...

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Plot Keywords:

sex | lust | female frontal nudity | female rear nudity | nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, language, some drug and alcohol use - all involving teens

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Havoc 2: Normal Adolescent Behavior

Filming Locations:

Rhode Island, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stephen Colletti and Hilary Burton previously worked together on One Tree Hill. (JKV)

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Quotes

Wendy: Don't be average.

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Connections

Follows Havoc (2005)

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Soundtracks

Suspicious Character
Written by Zachary John Aros, Zeb Jones Carlisle, Nathaniel Fregoso And Dyan Genevra Valdes
Performed by The Blood Arm
Courtesy of Because Music and by Arrangement With Zync Music Inc.

User Reviews

Watcheable but not not very deep

Six teens (3 girls, 3 guys) form some sort of mini-commune/club. They spend time just with each other. They have sex only with each other. They think of themselves as special, different, superior than the rest of the kids. Most importantly, the 3 girls in their minds don't see themselves as sluts, like all other girls are.

They have some rules for dealing with each other and with others, such as never lie (to each other). Each one has a box that belongs to another. In the box are things from the past that meant something, or that are somehow embarrassing.

One day, one of them, Wendy, meets the new guy in school, Sean. He quickly falls for her. She's different, smart, outspoken. Of course he wants to be with her, but she can't be with him because she can only be with her club. But Wendy's younger brother falls for Sean, so it seems. It's not clear what is going on with that kid.

Eventually Wendy falls for Sean, too, which of course causes tension withing the club. Billie in particular flips out. She ends up giving Wendy's box of secrets to Sean and he flips out and wants Wendy to burn it. Eventually Wendy has to confront Billie. And she'll have to decide whether to chose Sean or her friends.

Normal Adolescent Behavior, marketed as Havoc 2, has nothing to do with Havoc. It's a result of the hysteria some years before that about the supposed casual sex lives of teen girls. Of course no one cares about the sex lives of teen boys, or the casual sex lives of adults for that matter. How a group of kids that spends time having group sex among each other is supposed to laudable as opposed to sluts, is never clarified. Of course we're supposed to believe that the former or the latter is "normal" teen behavior. But sex isn't really what this movie is about. The topic of Greek tragedy comes up repeatedly and I guess we're supposed to see the movie as such, but I don't. The movie is about the drama of fitting it, of belonging, of finding someone, of family vs. outsiders. And as such it's a good movie. While there's not a whole lot of normal teen behavior featured, the teens are "normal" for Hollywood standards. That is, neither the obnoxious insufferable ones, nor the super strong, super smart ones featured in ever single show/movie these days. And for that reason the movie also lacks an impact. You witness a dramatic episodes in these kids' lives that isn't all that interesting. One problem is that quickly the movie centers on Wendy leaving the rest of the group aside and we learn nothing about them. Especially, the males of the group are completely disposable, while a lot is made of the bizarre and charicaturesque character of Wendy's brother which doesn't add much to the story to begin with.