American Teen

By Kate Xian
July 14, 2008

Dubbed as a modern day Breakfast Club, American Teen stars five Warsaw High School teens too young to even know what the Breakfast Club was. The documentary follows Jake Tusing, Hannah Bailey, Megan Krizmanich, Colin Clemens, and Mitch Reinholt throughout their senior year in high school and as we can all expect *ahem* remember, it will be filled with heartbreak, confusion, awkward silences, and a tad of bitchiness.

American Teen is no doubt fun and enjoyable to watch as the teens open up to the camera and make mistakes that only teens make. It is engaging and more like an open diary than documentary. Director Nanette Burstein has an eye for character and cleverly entwines the story of these teens together into a tapestry of American teenage culture in small-town Indiana.

Ironically, American Teen to me became more of a strange pastiche of what teenage culture in the States is like versus the movies. Hardly different. Has the media permeated American culture so much so that the lines between art and life are blurred? Is this a classic case of art imitating life or life imitating art?

What I find the most frightening about American Teen is how easily these teens fall into an archetype, a teenage mold. And here I thought high school in the movies was well, in the movies. I myself attended a school where the majority of students excelled at math or science and the kids who thought they were popular in fact didn’t register on the majority’s radar.

Regardless, Burstein weaved together the stories of these five teens with time on her side. As an audience member who has thankfully graduated high school, I felt very engaged with the teens, trying to recognize where old classmates fit in, recalling my days in high school. No matter what age or background, everyone will feel connected to this film. They’ll relate their own high school experiences to that of the five kids in the film or if they’re a parent they’ll find it insightful to what their teens are up to in today’s generation.

Burstein also cleverly picked out the right moments that show the best and worst of everyone. And when I mean worst, those moments get dark. Not you Hannah, you’re an open book.

Burstein also used different styles of animation to enhance those dark thoughts of each character. Though sometimes whimsical, as a whole, I felt the animation was unnecessary and superfluous. I would have preferred a talking head, when the teens open up to the camera. The facial muscles and movements however big or small say so much more about what they’re feeling than what a quirky animation could do. I often felt removed from the person who was opening up when it would cut to animation. I definitely could have done without.

And to give those Breakfast Club archetypes justice, let me give you a break down along with my own psychoanalysis on the five teens (a.k.a. why they made me want to beat my head against the wall).

Jake: The Nerd - painfully awkward, painfully sympathetic. The awkward silences and the lack of Don Juan suaveness make for plenty of laughs but really one of those guilty laughs that you try to cover up. It is at a real person’s expense after all. He will eventually grow into his own, he’ll be the broody type with dare I say sex appeal? After the screening I overheard a few girls comment on how they thought Jake was hot in the poster…Maybe we have a Ryan Gosling type on our hands. And Jake, for future reference, please don’t bring up your facial oils and remember, at least you’ve gotten the girl…even if the youngan was a little promiscuous…

Hannah: The Rebel - Deliberately awkward because she knows she doesn’t fit in. Looking for love and adoration. I’m not sure if film is the right direction to get that…unless you’re Angelina Jolie who can do no wrong. The easiest to hate, the easiest one that gets under your skin. Sorry that’s often the result of complaining and heavy doses of emo-ness. Hannah, look to your left (or right). Or whatever side your best friend is sitting.

Megan: The Princess – Catty, rich, ruthless. Need I say more? She will come to realize popularity will mean nothing in the bigger scheme of things. And that the word “f*g” can be life changing…Watch out if that job interview doesn’t go so well because someone’s seen you spray paint a derogatory word on a window. On a big screen. Across the entire continent.

Colin: The Jock – He’s the all around nice guy, lovable. Will always be the guy everyone likes. Funny, charming, and down to earth. Ok there isn’t anything bad I can say. Maybe when those skeletons in his closet are opened up for the world to see. Oh there is Elvis dad…but he’s so much fun.

Mitch: The Heartthrob - Naturally popular but deep down confused. He likes to keep up with appearances and he will always do what’s expected of him. He cares for an unlikely character but can’t man up to it. Surprise, surprise. At least he’s learned that text messaging isn’t for breaking up. It’s for short notes – like “hey I’m outside your house to pick you up.”

I’m glad I’m out of high school.

Wide Release Date: July 25, 2008
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Director: Nanette Burstein
Producers: Nanette Burstein, Eli Gonda, Christopher Huddleston, Jordan Roberts
Executive Producers: Nancy Dubuc, Patrick R. Morris, Elisa Pugliese, Molly Thompson
Director of Photography: Laela Kilbourn
Editors: Nanette Burstein, Thomas Haneke, Mary Marnhardt