A slice of sociology. Documentarian Nanette Burstein follows four principals through the stresses of senior year in Warsaw, Indiana: the Jock, the Princess, the Nerd, and the Rebel, all quite touching in different ways and degrees. Despite some stabs at MTV commercialism (animated fantasy sequences in contrasting styles), it’s in the nature of real life, as well as in the law of averages, that the events will be unsensational. You’ll have to settle for the snit of Miss Popularity when her Japanese prom theme loses out to a jungle theme (“I know it’s wrong, but I just believe in getting even”) and she thereupon sets out — on camera! — to toilet-paper the car of her nemesis and to spray-paint “fag” on his window, imperilling her dream of Notre Dame. (Of course the presence of a camera automatically raises questions of credibility. Did it somehow inspire or inflame the vandalism?) It’s also in the nature of real life that it will be funny and embarrassing. Also that it won’t add up to much. (2008) — Duncan Shepherd
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