Teenage Dreams - Glad I've Woke Up

As I seem to be almost out of Oscar films (I’m hoarding those I haven’t yet seen), I decided to go back to the DVD shelves and pick up some releases I had otherwise missed. I had no set theme, but apparently one arrived anyway.

This week’s theme is the dreams of the American teenager. Original no – but neither is either of these films.

My first film this week is the 2009 remake of “Fame”. As an 80’s kid, I admit to watching the original film (and loving it), and the TV show. I even re-watched the first season on DVD, hoping to indulge nostalgia. I did indeed relive my geeky teenage years, and realized that I’m a still geeky, non-coordinated almost-40 year old. But I’m finally pretty cool with that.

Unlike its predecessors, this is basically “American Idol” set in high school. Talent abounds, but the focus is more on the dancing and singing than the actual acting. (In both story and film) Stereotypically, everyone appears – rappers, a classical pianist, a struggling dancer with money to spare, etc. Even the “teachers” are recognizable “stars” from TV years gone by – Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth, Charles S. Dutton.

I’m not sure if it’s the times or me that have changed, or both, but in today’s era of “High School Musical”, the Jonas Brothers, et al, this simply doesn’t cut it. I should have paid attention to those people telling me not to watch this one. Sometimes, nostalgia needs to stay untouched.

The second film is “Whip It”, starring Ellen Page. This is Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, and she’s certainly off to a decent start. Bliss (Page) is a geeky girl stuck in Podunk, Texas (It’s actually Bodeen, but Podunk works too). Poor Bliss has a mom (Marcia Gay Harden) who wants her to be a Beauty Pageant Queen, but Bliss decides that she’s more of a Roller Derby Queen (cue Jim Croce). This film could have been quite bad, but it’s not. By the end, I actually found myself getting into it, rooting for Bliss and her Hurl Scouts to defeat Juliette Lewis and the Holy Rollers.

This film is based on a book, but what makes it work isn’t the narrative. The narrative is actually the worst part of the film. The story isn’t whipped at all, it’s more like cappuccino foam – evaporating even as you’re consuming it.

What stops “Whip It” from becoming another geeky girl rising above/female empowerment/coming age film are the performances – although not Page’s. I would like to see her take on stronger roles, like the underrated “Hard Candy”. The biggest standout is actually Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem, a woman who’s been in Bliss’ shoes and tries to steer her in the right direction.

But as a reformed geeky girl in the back of the room, it’s good to know that my age still doesn’t stop me from appreciating a decently made teen film (just not “Fame”).

“Fame” – Rated PG, 107 minutes (* ½)
“Whip It” – Rated PG-13, 111 minutes (**1/2)