American Teen
March 1, 2008 at 3:32 p.m.
The title American Teen implies a common teenage experience. So does the film — despite pigeonholing its four main characters into the stereotypes of athlete, outcast, nerd and prep, the movie suggests the experiences of and conflicts facing each of the characters are one and the same. Loneliness, an indeterminate future, shockingly questionable parental guidance, the social hierarchy… In raising conflicts as banal as some of these to the level of Greek tragedy, the film reaffirms the teenage ego: If the controversy surrounding a choice of prom theme is of enough importance to film, then of course the drama it creates off-camera is justified, too. (And that’s before the almost exclusively ugly animated fantasies.)
The film operates as an ode to teenage self-centeredness and short-sightedness. While Colin (the athlete), Jacob (the nerd) and Hannah (the outcast) easily offset these characteristically teenage traits with an abundance of charm, Megan (the prep) reveals herself to be wholly despicable. Beyond laughing at the instances of naivete and pettiness that result, what’s the point?
The most remarkable thing about the movie, really, is how technology is both used and ignored within it. Not only do text messages serve as the beginning and end of relationships but some teenagers commit some fairly atrocious acts with the cameras rolling only to take offense when confronted about them. I’m not sure whether to chalk this up to these youths being unaware or callous about the ramifications of their actions or whether we’re witnessing a generation completely desensitized by these converging media, but it’s absolutely bizarre to watch. As acts of infidelity and vandalism are caught on film, I couldn’t help but think of Baudrillard. Can we really no longer tell the difference between fantasy and reality? If so, American Teen marks the appearance of the hyperreal generation.
- Kyle Puetz
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