****Minor spoilers (I guess)****
For those of us who tire of standard teen movies, here's the film to brighten our day. It's a monkey wrench in the cranks of the tedious genre that features actors in their mid-twenties portraying stereotypical high-school characters shamelessly indulging predictable plots of frivolous romance. Where most movies set in high schools find resolve in romantics, "American Girl" dares to be different.
Yet it contains all the usual ingredients-aimless main characters, one-dimensional side characters, high school, moronic parents, sexual revelations, a romance-but it tastes different. This movie doesn't believe high school is the root of youth complications; it knows that school isn't where the confusion lies-it's after graduation when the complexities begin.
The reason why I liked this film is because it was filmed within a fifty mile radius of my home when it was filmed (I moved after that). The characters were extremely quirky and odd. "American Girl" was clever, cynical and another underrated film. Erik Von Detten was psychotic, and Jena Malone was eye candy, not to mention gives an excellent performance.
I was immediately reminded of "Ghost World" with a bit of "Blue Car", another slacker flick that has strong female characters. Rena (Jena Malone) is a depressed young girl living in a trailer park and has no idea what to do with her future, yet this is not your typical high school/slacker movie.
So one day, instead of re-locating, she decides to kill herself. But she has to tell her father, in prison, that she is pregnant.
Chris Mulkey as Rena's imprison father John, gives a hilarious supporting performance.
Very cynical and dark...at times even funny! One of the most underrated and best films of 2002! If you like "Election", "Ghost World" and "Blue Car", you'll love this! I put in this movie expecting a quirky, fun, romantic comedy. Uh uh! (The cover is deceptive). That's not to say I didn't enjoy it immensely, it just leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth. Jena Malone is fantastic as the disenchanted, troubled teenage kleptomaniac-cum-pregnant girl struggling to find meaning in her life. This sense of meaning and purpose is really hard to find. There are so many sad, depressing, uncomfortable moments in this movie yet it is acted so well and is so thought-provoking you can forgive it's few foibles. Highly recommended, but be warned, if you're feeling down or depressed - avoid at all costs! Watch it when in a reflective mood or you are looking for inspiration if you are a writer/poet/film buff etc.Unlike so many fabricated teen characters in film and TV, Malone's Rena is refreshing in that she never hits a false note, putting Rena's raw emotions right on the surface - she's a first-class talent and can take her place next to Alison Lohman, Lauren Ambrose, Agnes Bruckner and Thora Birch as one of the most arresting actresses to look out for in her age group.So in conclusion, the bottom line is that this movie is a well acted, underrated, little movie. If you like Jena Malone, you should watch this. My score. . . 7 out of 10. Definitely worth seeing.
For those of us who tire of standard teen movies, here's the film to brighten our day. It's a monkey wrench in the cranks of the tedious genre that features actors in their mid-twenties portraying stereotypical high-school characters shamelessly indulging predictable plots of frivolous romance. Where most movies set in high schools find resolve in romantics, "American Girl" dares to be different.
Yet it contains all the usual ingredients-aimless main characters, one-dimensional side characters, high school, moronic parents, sexual revelations, a romance-but it tastes different. This movie doesn't believe high school is the root of youth complications; it knows that school isn't where the confusion lies-it's after graduation when the complexities begin.
The reason why I liked this film is because it was filmed within a fifty mile radius of my home when it was filmed (I moved after that). The characters were extremely quirky and odd. "American Girl" was clever, cynical and another underrated film. Erik Von Detten was psychotic, and Jena Malone was eye candy, not to mention gives an excellent performance.
I was immediately reminded of "Ghost World" with a bit of "Blue Car", another slacker flick that has strong female characters. Rena (Jena Malone) is a depressed young girl living in a trailer park and has no idea what to do with her future, yet this is not your typical high school/slacker movie.
So one day, instead of re-locating, she decides to kill herself. But she has to tell her father, in prison, that she is pregnant.
Chris Mulkey as Rena's imprison father John, gives a hilarious supporting performance.
Very cynical and dark...at times even funny! One of the most underrated and best films of 2002! If you like "Election", "Ghost World" and "Blue Car", you'll love this! I put in this movie expecting a quirky, fun, romantic comedy. Uh uh! (The cover is deceptive). That's not to say I didn't enjoy it immensely, it just leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth. Jena Malone is fantastic as the disenchanted, troubled teenage kleptomaniac-cum-pregnant girl struggling to find meaning in her life. This sense of meaning and purpose is really hard to find. There are so many sad, depressing, uncomfortable moments in this movie yet it is acted so well and is so thought-provoking you can forgive it's few foibles. Highly recommended, but be warned, if you're feeling down or depressed - avoid at all costs! Watch it when in a reflective mood or you are looking for inspiration if you are a writer/poet/film buff etc.Unlike so many fabricated teen characters in film and TV, Malone's Rena is refreshing in that she never hits a false note, putting Rena's raw emotions right on the surface - she's a first-class talent and can take her place next to Alison Lohman, Lauren Ambrose, Agnes Bruckner and Thora Birch as one of the most arresting actresses to look out for in her age group.So in conclusion, the bottom line is that this movie is a well acted, underrated, little movie. If you like Jena Malone, you should watch this. My score. . . 7 out of 10. Definitely worth seeing.