Movie: American Teen

I saw the documentary 'American Teen' last night at the Princess Cinemas. When we went to sit down there was only one other person in the theater, sitting in the last row. because we had our choice of 99 other seats we decided to sit in the middle of the theater. For 10 minutes no one else came in and we though that we would have a private screening of the show. 5 minutes before the movie started, two more people came in and sat in the seats directly behind us. Who does that? I know we were in the prime seating area but directly behind us? The guy wants to stare at the back of my head for the entire movie? Then another couple sat directly in front of us. All 6 people crowded together in the middle of the theater. I'm all for order, but even I would have spread out. Personal space. What next? 3 ladies come in and sit one seat to the right of my friend and another group sits to my left, down one row, and so on and so on. By the time the movie started there was a total of 30 people and 15 were within arms reach. Weird, I know. I’ll be intereste to watch the seating habits of movie goers from here on.

Back to the movie. It was good. It was really good. It sucked me in and took me right back to high school. Watching these 4 kids as they made their way into adulthood, through the anxieties, heartbreaks, jealousies and joys of being 17 again. The Popular girl and her need to get into Notre Dame. The Jock and his need to get a college scholarship. The Doesn’t Fit In girl and her need to feel self worth. And The Geek and his need to have a girlfriend. I felt for all of them. When you're a teem all experiences are larger than life. At points in the movie when I thought it was too dramatic or juvenile I reminded myself what it was like to be 17 and it made perfect sense. I’m so glad that I don’t have to go back to high school. It really is a rite of passage. Even the smaller stories of the secondary characters felt familiar.

One scene in the movie dispenses what i think is the perfect advise for all high school teens.

The Geek was driving and he was telling his passenger that he was in the wrong lane and needed to be 3 lanes over.
G: I need to be in that lane, over there. I don’t think I can do it.
P: What do you mean you can’t do it? You can. You just made it through high school, you can do anything.

My favorite scene also comes via The Geek as we watch him fold his laundry. “Huh, I only have one sock. A lone sock. I’m like this sock. You see all the other socks are paired up but this one. It’s by itself. Like me. It’s kinda sad. It needs a mate. I need to find my sock mate.” Can you tell I have a soft spot of the under-dog?

Go see it.