This film tackles the eternal issue of growing up a teenager and the extreme reactionary responses we see growing at an alarming rate in our contemporary times. Some of the events in this movie could easily have been plucked from the headlines of the newspapers in recent years. It does an excellent job of tacking the touch issues of adolescence, guns in schools, and school administrators being completely oblivious to what is really going on in their hallways.
With an intense lead performance by Ben Foster, as the singled out teen, and Thomas Cavanagh, as the teacher trying to get through to both the school administration and its students, the story propels you through a whirlwind series of events over the course of a school year. The theme of the story is very dark and powerful painting a picture of the worst case possible scenario public school; which in my opinion may be closer to the truth then people want to really admit, making the story that much more believable.
I really feel that this is a film to be watched and appreciated because, unless you're in total denial, it's going to make you think more about the ideas and issues that inspired it. This is a movie for all to watch. Everybody goes to high school.
With an intense lead performance by Ben Foster, as the singled out teen, and Thomas Cavanagh, as the teacher trying to get through to both the school administration and its students, the story propels you through a whirlwind series of events over the course of a school year. The theme of the story is very dark and powerful painting a picture of the worst case possible scenario public school; which in my opinion may be closer to the truth then people want to really admit, making the story that much more believable.
I really feel that this is a film to be watched and appreciated because, unless you're in total denial, it's going to make you think more about the ideas and issues that inspired it. This is a movie for all to watch. Everybody goes to high school.