American Teen (2008)

Went quickly, but it's rather difficult to be convinced of the authenticity of what I saw since I know the kids had cameras on them the whole time.

I mean, did Jake's (the quiet loner) girlfriend really think she would get away with denying her cheating when a camera crew followed her to the swimming pool tryst? Would spoiled princess whatshername have dared to vandalize someone's home with spray paint if she didn't imagine it made her story arc more interesting? I couldn't trust what I was seeing and, even if I believed it all, only about half of it was worthwhile as a picture of how teens interact with each other.

While I was watching a jock's fledgling romance with the quirky drama girl be crushed by his friends, I couldn't keep myself from humming "Stick to the Status Quo" from High School Musical. Who knew Disney was aiming for authenticity?

C+