For those of you who haven't heard of it, "American Teen" is a documentary following high school seniors in Warsaw, IN during the 2005-2006 school year. The main characters include the popular girl aspiring to carry on the family tradition of going to Notre Dame, the jock whose only hope at going to college is to get a basketball scholarship, another jock whom all the girls love, the artsy girl who wants desperately to get out of Indiana, and the nerdy boy who just wants a girlfriend. It was interesting to watch a documentary about Indiana students at a theater in Berkeley, CA, because of the reaction some of the other movie-goers had to things Indiana parents would say, etc. As for Karl and I, we felt right at home throughout the entire 95 minutes of the movie. It was almost as though we had been transported back to Indiana for a short time. Though it was filmed in Warsaw, IN, it could have just as easily been in my hometown of Mount Vernon or Karl's hometown of Nashville. I could find bits and pieces of my former high school self in the characters, and I know that Karl felt the same way.
As we left the theater I felt nostalgic and a little bit homesick. The movie did a wonderful job of letting the viewer feel the same emotions that all of the students were feeling. At times I couldn't stand Megan, the Notre Dame girl, while at other times I felt really sorry for her, or at least could empathize with her. I wasn't surprised when Mitch, one of the popular basketball players featured in the film, broke up with someone over text message. We didn't have text messaging back in my H.S. days but I know for a fact I was broken up with over notes passed in the halls between class periods, which stung just as bad! I also liked the movie because it helped me identify with "types" of students that I really never socialized with or talked to in high school. We were all going through similar struggles, but never really knew it because of our different social statuses. For example, the artsy girl was one of my very favorite characters, yet she was the type of person I would have had absolutely nothing to do with back in high school. I look back on high school and I'm happy that I have become the person I am today rather than staying like the person I was then. I'll admit it - I was kind of a big snob sometimes and probably not as nice to everyone as I should have been.
One funny thing that happened tonight was that at the end of the movie they gave the audience an update on where each of the students is today. Mitch is the only one from the film who ended up at Indiana University, and Karl and I were both laughing because he was our favorite student profiled, and we agreed that he is "totally an IU kid"....so it made sense that he would be our favorite. ;)
If you haven't already seen the movie, I highly suggest that you get out to your nearest theater and see it! It's a nice little slice of Indiana life, and the best part is that there are no actors...it's real kids living their real lives.
P.S. Here is a funny picture I just found with the characters in "American Teen" spoofing the cover of "The Breakfast Club" DVD/VHS case:
As we left the theater I felt nostalgic and a little bit homesick. The movie did a wonderful job of letting the viewer feel the same emotions that all of the students were feeling. At times I couldn't stand Megan, the Notre Dame girl, while at other times I felt really sorry for her, or at least could empathize with her. I wasn't surprised when Mitch, one of the popular basketball players featured in the film, broke up with someone over text message. We didn't have text messaging back in my H.S. days but I know for a fact I was broken up with over notes passed in the halls between class periods, which stung just as bad! I also liked the movie because it helped me identify with "types" of students that I really never socialized with or talked to in high school. We were all going through similar struggles, but never really knew it because of our different social statuses. For example, the artsy girl was one of my very favorite characters, yet she was the type of person I would have had absolutely nothing to do with back in high school. I look back on high school and I'm happy that I have become the person I am today rather than staying like the person I was then. I'll admit it - I was kind of a big snob sometimes and probably not as nice to everyone as I should have been.
One funny thing that happened tonight was that at the end of the movie they gave the audience an update on where each of the students is today. Mitch is the only one from the film who ended up at Indiana University, and Karl and I were both laughing because he was our favorite student profiled, and we agreed that he is "totally an IU kid"....so it made sense that he would be our favorite. ;)
If you haven't already seen the movie, I highly suggest that you get out to your nearest theater and see it! It's a nice little slice of Indiana life, and the best part is that there are no actors...it's real kids living their real lives.
P.S. Here is a funny picture I just found with the characters in "American Teen" spoofing the cover of "The Breakfast Club" DVD/VHS case:
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