American Teen

While this is not a scripted movie, fitting into the category of every other film I have written about thus far on this blog, this was a pretty freaking fantastic documentary. Maybe I love documentaries too much, maybe I love the lives of teenagers too much, maybe I love Indiana too much, but I still think this was a fascinating little film. These stories were just so complex and interesting. Even if the doc did seem a little scripted and manufactured, that does not make me love it any less. That may just make me love it more. It adds more art to the film, which I thought was very well crafted. If you are unfamiliar, this documentary follows four high school seniors through their final year at Warsaw Community High School in Warsaw, IN. Each of these young people are flawed and compelling characters that give depth to what most adults see as shallow youth. I kinda like everything about this documentary and would highly recommend it. I laughed, I (nearly) cried, I shouted with joy, and hurt with shared grief. It is into lives like these I hope to someday be able to intervene.