Movies

Went to an advance screening expecting your usual "shy kid in high school learns to stick up for himself" sort of feel-good drama. This movie is so much more than that - I was truly blown away by the mature themes and moving characters. Mental illness, sexual abuse, drugs and alcohol... I think the writer/screenwriter/director said it best in the Q+A after when he said it was a film that looked at the emotional aspects of that point in life without being sentimental. I really cared about these three teens - Charlie, Sam, and Patrick - and their story never felt cheesy. Just real, and moving, and touching. Go see this movie!

I personally did not enjoy this film like some people. It felt drawn out and it makes the viewer constantly feel sorry for these people. Yes, they experience real life problems and it sucks. But it's just a downer of a movie. Acting is great. But it's just long in the tooth and boring.