Review of American Teen (2008) by Brian H — 02 Aug 2009

If you didn't know this was a documentary, you would almost think it was a scripted independent teen film. The plot points are often too good to be true (in a dramatic sense) and the characters fit their archetypes so well that they almost feel cliched.

But these are where those stereotypes come from! This is real and I felt the angst and frustration and real drama that these kids went through as they began their journey into the real world. I felt for all the kids and really cared about what happened to them.

Of course, Hannah seemed to be the most interesting and complex and her storyline ultimately made me cry. This film is for anybody that is willing to look back on those crazy high school years and feel a sense of loss and relief to see that not much has changed in those hallways since you graduated.