True Adolescents (2009)

Craig Johnson's poised and poignant first feature follows Sam (Mark Duplass), an, unbeknownst to him, washed-up rocker in the early stages of haggard. Jobless and apartment-less, he crashes... See full summary »

Director:

Craig Johnson

Writer:

Craig Johnson

Stars:

Mark Duplass, Bret Loehr, Carr Thompson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Duplass	...	Sam Bryant
Bret Loehr	...	Oliver Mitchell
Carr Thompson	...	Jake
Melissa Leo	...	Sharon Mitchell
Emma Dumont	...	Cara (as Emma Noelle Roberts)
Lilly Perreault	...	Ashley
Linas Phillips	...	Slater
Davie-Blue	...	Jericha
Snow Keim	...	JR
Laura Kai Chen	...	Amy
Dave Hobbs	...	Casey
Rufus Tureen	...	Punk Kid #1
Jennifer Perreault	...	Candace
Elizabeth Herron	...	Waitress (as Elizabeth Cook Herron)
Erika Mayfield	...	Celia (as Erika June Mayfield)

Storyline

Craig Johnson's poised and poignant first feature follows Sam (Mark Duplass), an, unbeknownst to him, washed-up rocker in the early stages of haggard. Jobless and apartment-less, he crashes with his aunt (a compassionate Melissa Leo) as a last resort and becomes reluctant camping-trip chaperone to her teenage son and a pal. That the three males are on par, maturity-wise, makes for engaging ensemble juvenilia. But in the stirring Pacific Northwest wilderness a surprising discovery turns dire -- and the distance from boy to man must be covered overnight. Duplass's ballsy and at times balls-out performance is a winner, particularly when Sam at long last takes stock of himself: it ain't pretty.

---

Plot Keywords:

campfire | naked in public | gay interest | skinny dipping | male nudity | 

---

Taglines:

Get lost.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official MySpace Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Verdaderos adolescentes

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Furnace Films,Lunacy,The Group Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Comic book artist Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman, Human Target, Neil Young's Greendale) did the poster artwork.

---

Goofs

Neither a lighter nor a sparkler are going to provide enough light to see the trail in the dark.

---

Crazy Credits

There is a hidden, funny outtake of Mark Duplass at the very end of the credits.

User Reviews

An Interesting Coming-of-Age Film

True Adolescents had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. It is a solid effort at exploring the efforts of a man in his mid-30s who hasn't quite grown up to bond with his teenage nephew and his buddy during a weekend camping outing. The characters are well-developed and the acting is solid. Mark Duplass's Sam is a failed musician who needs to figure out what he is doing with his life. His immaturity is finally challenged as he is forced to become the responsible adult. The story is entertaining if not spectacular. The acting is fairly good and the characters and their relationships to each other are well-developed. The ending sequence seems a little hokey. Although, the film probably won't get widely distributed, it is nevertheless a worthwhile effort.