American Teen DVD Review

I’m a fan of John Hughes, who brought teen angst to the silver screen in the 80s with such hits as 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful. Writer director Nanette Burstein (The Kid Stays In The Picture) seems to have much the same gift Hughes has, but with a documentary twist.

My Rating:

The end result, American Teen, is a snapshot look at the lives of five teenagers living and attending high school in Warsaw, Ind. This “pack” was discovered much like MTV’s “Laguna Beach” cast, a la open casting call.

And much like both the Hughes films and MTV’s staple of teen dramas, there are several stereotypical characters, if you will. For example, there’s the rich, popular queen bee Megan Krizmanich, who along with her BFF Ali Wikalinska, seems to rule the school. Then there’s basketball star Colin Clemens, whose family is less than rich but he still hangs with the cool kids (although he’s desperate for a college scholarship). There’s my “favorite”, artsy outcast Hannah Bailey, who has big dreams of pursuing a film career behind the camera in Hollywood, and in the meantime manages to catch the eye of another popular boy, athlete Mitch Reinholt. Rounding out the cast is geeky Jake Tusing, a sweet, earnest video-game aficionado with bad acne and even worse self esteem. So just in case you don’t get the connection, we’ve got Megan (princess), Colin (jock), Hannah (rebel), Mitch (dreamy BMOC), and Jake (geek).

But all is not on the surface in American Teen, as the films deals with underage drinking, drugs, sex and depression very realistically, which can be uncomfortable for those who skated through high school with nary a care in the world. But for the rest of us, American Teen is utterly relatable, and I often found myself identifying with each cast member at one point or another. There’s also a wonderful earnestness captured, one that only teens (and children) have–before they get too jaded by the big bad world.

While it might be easy to scoff that some of the larger American Teen storylines were concocted, I disagree, as I recall devastating relationship breakups that left me shattered; intense feelings of not belonging; and the heady feeling of being liked, only to wonder what the real reason is, rather than bask in the happiness.

The film is presented in widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with audio in Dolby Digital 5.1, a Spanish-language track, and optional subtitles in English, French and Spanish. The soundtrack is also noteworthy, as fans of alternative rock will enjoy the likes of Black Kids, Frou Frou and the New Pornographers. Extras include “Pop Quiz: Cast Interviews,” which among other things reveals that all the cast are now buddies; six deleted scenes; and 10 “Hannah blogs”.

In the end, the class of 2006 is well represented by American Teen, and viewers can’t help but cheers for these kids as they graduate from high school and embark on the rest of their lives.

American Teen is rated PG-13 for “ teenage drinking, smoking, sex and swearing.”

I give American Teen 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.