Speech & Debate

I really enjoyed this movie!! :D It was only rated one and a half stars for me on Netflix but I don't know why because it was totally my kind of movie!! The only reason that I've rated it 8/10 stars on here is because it lacked the romance that it made me expect :D It's a really fun filled movie though - especially if you enjoy songs about crap sandwiches :'D

I really like coming of age movies so I googled for some and stumbled upon this one. The summary really won me over but I wanted to do some investigating before I proceeded to watch it. I got some mixed reviews and was skeptical. However, after watching it, I was blown away. I loved it. Although it wasn't 10/10 for me and I am no movie expert, the way the movie was made and the originality of the characters despite having clichéd labels was on-point. I felt a sense of relief when I finished watching it which is always awesome. So please go and watch it.

It was so cult, until it turned into a slapstick, teenagers falling drunk and drugged into swindling, it misrepresented what would be a light and fun film about smart young liberals and militating for sexual freedom, single mothers and the like, the speech & debate he almost got lost... But he recovered brilliantly, that final musical, saved him, it was what I expected from these young "troublemakers" and reactionaries... A delightful, uncompromising film that raises a beautiful flag....

Speech & Debate seems like it wants to go for the jugular and say something profound about small town teen life, but every time it gets close, it chickens out and settles for dull clichés.

The cast certainly seems game. Our three teen leads are appealing, charming, and a joy to watch, but the pedestrian script doesn't do them any favors. It wants to have something to say about gay issues, teen pregnancy, pedophilia, religion, detached parents, and overly moralistic school boards, but it never digs into one of them below the surface and the whole film becomes sort of like a light episode of Glee.

This is not to say that Speech & Debate is without amusing moments, but the laughs aren't big enough to function as a comedy and the drama isn't real or powerful enough to function as a drama. Speech & Debate just sort of...is. In its goal to be inoffensive, light, and watchable for all audiences, it no longer has any bite.

This is a Netflix pick at best.

If you are coming to see a movie about debate then this is not a movie for you. The main focus of the film is about the three teens that make up the debate team and their struggles. I love how light hearted and funny this film is, and how the kids form a great bond with one another!