By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Will Gluck
Starring: Amanda Bynes | Dan Byrd | Emma Stone | Patricia Clarkson | Penn Badgley | Thomas Haden Church
Country: united_states
Year: 2010
Running time: 92
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1282140/
Thom says: “I’m a fan of the teen genre but, let’s face it, can anything be done to make it fresh and new? Heaven knows this isn’t that movie. It most resembles MEAN GIRLS, but it’s nowhere as good. There are some amusing performances but it couldn’t make me committed to the script once our heroine Olive (a chubby Stone) made her ridiculous decision to go slutty. I did enjoy Olive wearing the ‘red A’ after reading The Scarlet Letter for school. And especially because she degraded the wretched Demi Moore film version. I also objected that the one “gay” high schooler was the least good-looking student. Kudrow was her amusing self as Mrs. Griffith, the guidance counselor, who was having an affair with the 22-year-old high school student who was a little backward. 2 1/2 cats”
Beth Curran responds: “Devil’s advocate time – so, to use your terminology, it wouldn’t be considered ‘fresh and new’ to have a ‘chubby’ girl be the one who is considered sexually desirable/loose? And gay high school characters must only be played by attractive/cute boys – is this a twink quota or something?
“Finally, does Olive have copious sex with many boys? Does she in fact ‘go slutty?’ Or does she decide to play with others’ perceptions of her as slutty? I haven’t seen the film, so I don’t know, but if it’s the former, yeah, that’s definitely not ‘fresh and new’ – but if it’s the latter, then I would say that is a different twist to the genre.
“It sounds like the film was not the one you hoped to see – but that doesn’t mean it’s not fresh and new, it just means it was disappointing…
‘And chubby? Chubby?? Are you smoking crack?!? Emma Stone has a normal 20 year old’s body (her age at the time of filming), and is friggin’ gorgeous!”
Thom responds: “I don’t mind your comments, I welcome them. No, of course not, they needn’t have the best looking boy being gay but surely by picking the most unattractive young man it was implied that someone might be gay because he can’t attract the opposite sex, which is insulting. I thought Emma Stone was hot but so many of today’s stars are thin to even an anorexic quality & those are the type they usually pick for such roles. No, I thought the use of Emma Stone was fine. And her showing up the hypocrisy of judgment against sexually active teen girls is also right on. I just couldn’t accept that Olive would have gone through with it because she was hated by the entire high school community because of it. I didn’t express myself very well, sorry. And I think crack is the worst drug of all time.”
Marilyn responds: “I found these comments interesting. I liked this movie. It had a great message and was well delivered. The acting was strong and while the story may have stretched the limits of believability it was not so over-the-top that it strained credibility. Any criticism of this movie pales when compared to other so called teen-age flicks. I have put this movie on my recommended list because while not perfect, it targets an audience that desperately needs better movies.
“Oh I forgot the best part….watching Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci…..sweet!”