The Craft

The Craft, directed by Andrew Fleming, 1996, ISSN 0767853466

Plot Summary

                       When troubled Sarah, played by Robin Tunney, moves into town and starts at a new Catholic school, it seems she will have difficulty yet again fitting in with her classmates.  But she is quickly befriended by a trio of girls who, she discovers, have an interest in magic and believe that she is the fourth of their coven.  They begin to spend time together casting spells and invoking the spirit to cement their union.   Awkward burn victim Bonnie, played by Neve Campbell, casts a spell for beauty.  Rochelle, played by Rachel True, casts a revenge spell on the racist bully making her life miserable.  Nancy, played by a devilishly wicked Fairuza Balk, casts a spell for power.  And Sarah, her reputation smeared by a boy who spread rumors about sexual escapades that never happened, casts a love spell in order to humiliate him.  Before long it becomes evident that Sarah does truly possess supernatural abilities, and that their spells are working.  The spells go horribly awry, none so much as Nancy's, who becomes galvanized with evil power and a total lack of conscience.  Sarah must figure out how to use her powers for good and break the union of their coven, so as to stop Nancy and the destructive spells the girls have cast, but they are hellbent on preventing this at any cost.

Critical Analysis

                           The Craft is an action-packed good time, pure entertainment more than anything else.  The witchcraft practiced in this movie is almost cartoonish at times, and not scary at all, but this is not meant to be the appeal.  This is a movie about empowerment and vengeance gone wrong, about the fury of a woman scorned, and about good triumphing over evil.  The writing is exaggerated but well-delivered by the actresses.  The performances of the main players are principally what really works in The Craft.  Robin Tunney as Sarah captures the seriousness of this character, and the shadows in Sarah's past that haunt her.  Neve Campbell as Bonnie is very believable as the shy girl with no self-esteem, and delightfully hateable as the conceited sexpot once her beauty spell takes effect.  Rachel True as Rochelle, the least dynamic of the four characters, is still plenty likable before her spell and entertaining after the coven takes a turn for the evil.  It is Fairuza Balk's performance as Nancy, however, that truly steals the show.  Nancy is poor white trash with no hope of elevating herself; she is trapped and helpless and simmering with frustration.  Her sharp tongue and frenetic energy are arresting whenever she is on screen, and after the transformation when she is drunk with power and purely destructive, her black-rimmed pale eyes gone wide and crazed, she is in full control of the movie.  The power of her performance is startling in a film that is more guilty-pleasure enjoyable than anything else.  Overall The Craft is an enjoyable popcorn movie, meaning long on entertainment value if short on true dramatic merit.

About the Director

                               Andrew Fleming is an openly gay screenwriter and director who studied film making at New York University film school. He has worked on such films as The Craft, Bad Dreams, Threesome, and Hamlet 2, among others.   He has also directed episodes of such celebrated television shows as Grosse Point and Arrested Development. 

Annotation

                  Four high school girls scorned and outcast by their peers seek revenge by forming a coven and practicing witchcraft, but this new found power soon goes horribly awry.

Genre

         Horror

Challenge Issues

                           Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, discussion of sex, underage drinking, violence, murder, suicide, and witchcraft. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                          N/A

Interest Age

                    Grades 8-12.

Why I Included This Movie

                                             This movie is definitely a guilty-pleasure teen classic.  I included it because, cheesy or not, there is nothing else quite like it. 

References
Andrew Fleming. (2011). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Fleming                

Scream

Scream, directed by Wes Craven, 1996, ISSN 1558907254

Plot Summary

                       When a murderer known as ghost face due to his ghoulish mask starts killing off teens, Scream's group of high school kids headed up by Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan, and Skeet Ulrich know from years of classic horror movies that the only way to avoid getting killed is to behave exactly the opposite as the doomed characters in the movies.  In this way, a new twist is taken on a stale genre, as the characters reference and lampoon the horror greats even as they fall victim to the same old tricks.  There are deeper plot lines running through this movie as well, such as Neve Campbell's personal trauma stemming from her mother's murder and the fact that the supposed killer is about to be released.  The body count grows higher and higher as the movie wears on, and the more the characters think they know, the more the savvy killer proves them wrong.  Swerving towards a surprise ending in which no one might be spared, Scream is entertaining and startling from Drew Barrymore's opening scene reminiscent of Janet Leigh's performance in Psycho, to the last.

Critical Analysis

                           This film's greatest strength lies in its element of fun and sense of humor.  The gimmick of having the characters discuss horror movie cliches within a traditional horror movie is original and very well executed.  The teens from Scream feel smug in their knowledge of the genre, but one by one are proven to be just as clueless as the characters they scorn on screen.  The dialog is fast and clever, consistently funny throughout,  and the scary scenes are high on startle factor.  The acting in this film is also top notch, as the characters vacillate between comedic and dramatic performances.  Neve Campbell as Sidney is effective; she is a nervous, haunted character with a traumatic past, all too susceptible to the horror movie tricks.  Rose McGowan plays the irrepressible Tatum, bubbly and funny - her particularly gruesome death is a shame, as it takes this great character off screen.  Skeet Ulrich is intense as Billy, and Matthew Lillard is goofy and entertaining as Stuart.  Other great performances include Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers, an aggressive reporter of questionable professional standards, and David Arquette as Dewey, the hapless small town cop.  One of the best performances is put forth by Jamie Kennedy as Randy, the main horror movie aficionado, who is constantly guessing and second guessing the next twist in their real-life plot, including who might be the killer.  And of course there is Drew Barrymore's very effective opening scene, reminiscent of Janet Leigh's demise in Psycho.  This movie is not only hilarious and completely original in a genre filled with the same old tricks, it will scare you when you least expect it.

About the Director

                              Wes Craven was born in Cleveland and raised in a religious family.  He earned his Master's from Johns Hopkins and he became a professor.  He also worked as a sound editor in a post-production company and, through this job, developed a passion for horror films.  His debut film was The Last House on the Left.  Some of his other hits include Nightmare on Elm Street, one of the horror movie greats, and Scream.  Through these films and others, he developed a reputation as a master of the horror genre.  He and his ex-wife have two children. 

Annotation

                  A masked killer is knocking off teens, and the horror-movie savvy survivors decide they can evade this fate by doing the opposite of what naive movie characters do.  What follows is a witty satire of horror movies that will scare and amuse the viewer.

Genre

          Horror, Dark Comedy

Challenge Issues

                           Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, sex, underage drinking, graphic depiction of violence, and murder. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                           Satire

Interest Age

                   Grades 9-12.

Why I Included This Movie

                                             This movie became an instant horror classic, fresh and funny and completely original.  Teens will respond to the humor as well as the graphic and always creative violence.

References
Wes Craven. (2011). Biography.com. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/wes-craven-193498 

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes, 1985, ISSN 025195018647

Plot Summary

                       Five vastly different teens - a jock played by Emilio Estevez, a princess played by Molly Ringwald, a nerd played by Anthony Michael Hall, a freak played by Ally Sheedy, and a rebel played by Judd Nelson - find themselves stuck in detention on a Saturday morning.  At first it seems they have nothing in common and they are irritable and vicious with each other, needled by Judd Nelson's character who is aching, as always, to stir up trouble.  But their mutual hatred of the principal and the circumstances they find themselves in lead to unlikely bonding.  One by one they peel away the layers of their stereotypical roles to find that they are more alike than they ever could have imagined - principally in their feelings of unhappiness and inadequacy.  This classic movie is not only about adolescence,  but about identity and acceptance and the frailty of humanity overall.

Critical Analysis

                           Despite the seriously dated clothes and hair, the soundtrack, and the general eighties aesthetic that is pervasive in this classic film, The Breakfast Club rings just as true now as it did when it was originally released in 1985.  The themes of isolation, parental and societal pressure, self-esteem, and identity are just as relevant to young adults today.  In this way The Breakfast Club is timeless. This is a cerebral movie based more on character development than action.  The dialog is intelligent and witty - and very wordy, but not overly so.    The performances in this movie are legendary - most notably Molly Ringwald as Claire, the spoiled princess who slowly reveals herself to be a secret mess despite her outer confidence, and Judd Nelson as John Bender, the delinquent rebel with a cruel streak whose anger and scorn propel this story.  All of the other players are vulnerable and enthralling in their roles as well - Ally Sheedy as the shy freaky girl who is transformed by the end into a pretty, "normal" girl (my only problem with this movie's message), a tender young Anthony Michael Hall as the overachieving, super intelligent nerd who has to put up with bullying from the jocks, and Emilio Estevez as the untouchable, popular jock who seems to have it all.  They play both their stereotypes and their true inner characters with expert ability, making this not just another teen movie, but an important exploration into the external and self-imposed pressures teens have to live through, and the ways we relate to each other as humans.

About the Director

                               John Hughes grew up and graduated from high school on the outskirts of Chicago.  He attended college in Phoenix, Arizona, but dropped out to move back to Chicago and work as a copywriter.  His writing career began when he sold a story to National Lampoon Magazine about a family vacation, which later became the classic comedy National Lampoon's Vacation starring Chevy Chase.  His directorial debut was Sixteen Candles, starring an unknown Molly Ringwald.  This movie was extremely popular with teens, as it depicted high school in such realistic terms.  He followed Sixteen Candles with The Breakfast Club, another huge hit, and from there went on to create a number of classic comedy films and launch the careers of a number of unknown actors.  Known as the Brat Pack, these actors were Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, and the cast of The Breakfast Club, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, and Emilio Estevez.  Some of Hughes' most celebrated films include Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and Home Alone.  Although he continued to make films, he withdrew from the public eye in 1994 and passed away of a heart attack in 2009.  He was survived by his wife Nancy, their two children, and four grandchildren.

Annotation

                  Five teens, each representing a different stereotype, find themselves trapped in detention on a Saturday.  Although they initially seem to be very different, the more they talk, the more they discover that they are alike in ways that surprise them.

Genre

         Comedy/Drama - coming of age

Challenge Issues

                          Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, discussion of sex, underage drinking and drugs, and general teen disobedience. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.  

Curriculum Ties 

                           Character development and stereotypes.

Interest Age

                    Grades 9-12, and beyond.

Why I Included This Movie

                                              The Breakfast Club is an undeniable classic that will continue to resonate with young adults as long as they are watching it, regardless of how old it is.  It belongs in any collection.

References

John Hughes. (2011). Biography.com. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/john-hughes-476258     

10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You, directed by Gil Junger, 1999, ISSN 0788817795

Plot Summary

                       Sunny, popular Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik, could not be more different from her rebellious, cynical older sister Kat, played by Julia Stiles, and they war constantly over every issue imaginable.  The main bone of contention comes into play with their strict father's policy that Bianca cannot date until Kat starts dating - and Kat, repelled by the boys at her high school, has no interest in this at all.  Enter Bianca's tutor Cameron, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, who forms an instant crush on Bianca despite the fact that she is hung up on another, more popular boy.  Bianca tells him about her father's dating policy and Cameron hatches a plan in which he teams up with Bianca's crush and together they pay the outcast Patrick to woo hard-as-nails Kat.  Cameron is sure he can win over Bianca once she is allowed to date.  Patrick is immediately rebuffed and then intrigued by Kat's obvious intelligence and darkly sarcastic attitude, similar to his own, and finds he no longer cares about the money.  With moments of tenderness, romance, and tons of laughs, this fast-paced adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is witty, modern, and well-acted, entertaining from beginning to end.

Critical Analysis

                           10 Things I Hate About you is one of the many teen romance movies involving a dark horse, unpopular girl and the unlikely guy who wins her over, no doubt, but there is more to this film than fluff and stock characters.  Kat, wonderfully portrayed by Julia Stiles, who excels as a deadpan, razor-sharp cynic, is a complicated character that the viewer learns more about as the movie unfolds.  There is a past that made her this way, giving her depth and dimension.  Heath Ledger's character, Patrick Verona, undergoes this same type of transformation for the viewer once his past is revealed.  Both of them revel in their reputations and have no interested in conforming or changing, and the truth is that by the end of the movie they are both basically the same - except in love.  Larisa Oleynik as Bianca and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Cameron play more typical characters, the adorable, shallow girl and the hapless, smart boy, but they too are deeper than they appear.  Bianca in particular grows up by the end of the movie, having come to terms with the fact that popularity is not the only thing that matters and Kat is more than simply a bad attitude in her way.  The supporting cast features many wonderful performances by talented actors including Alison Janney as a blunt high school counselor, Larry Miller as the girls' paranoid father, David Krumholtz as Cameron's witty sidekick, and Andrew Keegan as the vapid object of Bianca's affection.  The dialog is quick and sharp, current for teens but not so much as to alienate adult viewers.  Well-acted and a very successful adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play Taming of the Shrew, this movie is great to watch many times over.

Information About the Director

                                                     Gil Junger, born in New York City, made his directorial debut with 10 Things I Hate About You.  He works for Touchstone Pictures and has directed other films, such as Black and If Only.  He has also directed many made for television movies, such as My Fake Fiance and, most recently, Teen Spirit.  Most of his work has been on television, on a number of shows including Zoe, Duncan, Jack, and Jane, According to Jim, and 8 Simple Rules, among many others.  He worked on the television adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You as well, in 2009.

Annotation

                  Cynical Kat has no interest in dating, which is a major problem for her popular little sister Bianca, who is not allowed to date until Kat does.  Bianca participates in a plan with one of her many crushes to pay someone to woo her hard-edged older sister and free her from her father's strict rule.

Genre

          Comedy, Adaptation

Challenge Issues

                           Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, discussion of sex, and underage drinking. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                           Shakespeare - modernization and adaptation

Interest Age

                    Grades 7-12, and beyond.

Why I Included This Movie

                                              This is a great example of a movie for and about teens that is not vapid or typical.  There are deeper themes and issues addressed, and it is well-written, well-acted, and successfully adapted from Taming of the Shrew.  Young adults will respond to the movie and possibly seek out the play once they realize it was adapted.

References
Gil Junger. (2011). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Junger

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Drop Dead Gorgeous, directed by Michael Patrick Jann, 1999, ISSN 0780628306

Plot Summary

                      Quintessential small-town nice girl Amber Atkins, played by Kirsten Dunst, is determined to win the Sarah Rose Cosmetics American Teen Princess Beauty Pageant and make her way out of claustrophobic Mount Rose, Minnesota into the big time.  Her chief ambition is to be a newscaster just like Diane Sawyer, her idol.  Amber's major competition is the perfectly poised and perfectly nasty Becky Ann Leeman, played by Denise Richards, whose mother Gladys Leeman, played by Kirstie Alley, also happens to be a former Mount Rose American Teen Princess and the pageant organizer.  Things quickly become cutthroat during pageant preparations as girls begin dropping like flies and Amber finds death threats in her locker at school.  Everything points to the Leemans, but their prominence in the town is undeniable so Amber is on her own.  A star-studded cast rounds out this hilarious and irreverent mockumentary, featuring spot-on comedic performances by Allison Janney, Ellen Barkin, Brittany Murphy, and the then unknown but now wildly successful starlet Amy Adams in her first role, along with many more.

Critical Analysis

                           This film really could not be more spot-on.  The mockumentary format is perfectly executed and suits the subject matter exactly.  Kirsten Dunst as Amber Atkins is sweet, endearing, and gutsy.  Ellen Barkin as her mother is a lovable chain-smoking mess.  Allison Janney as the man-crazy, foul-mouthed neighbor basically steals the show.  Denise Richards as Becky Ann Leeman oozes fake charm and very real hostility.  Kirstie Alley as Becky's mother is the perfect overbearing, corrupt show mom.  Sam McMurray as Becky's sleazy dad completes their dysfunctional little family.  Amy Adams is the bouncy, adorable, empty-headed cheerleader - it is easy to see why her career took off the way it did.   Brittany Murphy is dorky and earnest at its best.  Each character achieves their role wonderfully so that every scene is as good as the last, and the Minnesota accent is executed flawlessly.  The writing is brilliantly done - natural speech peppered with hilarious lines and subtle jabs so seamlessly written that you have to watch the move a few times to catch all of it.  This move is also extremely irreverent and dark, a black comedy for sure.  Scenes such as Becky Ann dancing with a stuffed figure of Jesus on the cross to Can't Take My Eyes Off of You, the contestant who is beaned in the head by a falling light in the middle of her sign language interpretive dance rehearsal, Ellen Barkin's burned skeletal hand fused to a beer can after their trailer is attacked, the creepy judge who cannot stop talking about young girls - this kind of grim violence and dark subject matter is handled cheerfully and with tongue-in-cheek humor, making this movie a rollicking good time from beginning to end.

Information about the Director

                                                    Michael Patrick Jann is a writer, director, and actor who was born in Albany, New York.  His best known work is Drop Dead Gorgeous.  He also directed many episodes of successful television show Reno 911! and a number of sketches on the show Little Britain USA. Additionally, he was a cast member of MTV variety show The State.  He is married and has one son.

Annotation

                  The competition in this small-town beauty pageant is cutthroat as the girls compete for top spot against front runner Becky Ann Leeman, who will do anything to win - literally.  This mockumentary will keep you laughing from beginning to end.

Genre

          Comedy

Challenge Issues

                           Possible challenge issues in this movie include profanity, violence, discussion of sex, and sacrilegious images. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this movie. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the movie in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.

Curriculum Ties

                          The form of mockumentary, satire, and black humor.

Interest Age

                   Grades 8-12, and beyond.

Why I Included This Movie

                                            This mockumentary captures and demonstrates through satire the extreme competition of adolescence perfectly. The relationships between characters are endearing in their dysfunction and tenderness, giving this film merit beyond the irreverent plot line. It is consistently hilarious. Teens will love it for its fearless sense of humor.

References

Michael Patrick Jann. (2011). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Patrick_Jann