As adults, we like to tell kids(mainly teenagers) that the decisions they make now will have an impact on the rest of their lives, when in reality we've already made their decisions behind their backs. One of the most significant ways that we do it is with the Standard Aptitude Test, which in some instances seem biased, and in others, the kids are simply too stupid to pass. And in this movie, which is produced by Brian Robbins(formerly Eric Madiran from HEAD OF THE CLASS), six kids from both circumstances decide that rather than cave in to the winds of fate, they're going to fight the man and steal the answers. This movie tries to compare itself to THE BREAKFAST CLUB, but anybody who's ever seen that movie knows it's nowhere near as heavy-handed. Keep in mind, however that this doesn't mean The Perfect Score is an inferior teen movie, even if it isn't the Oscar-grabber the John Hughes classic should've been.
The hero of this movie is Kyle(Chris Evans), a smart kid who's determined to seek a career in architecture. Most heroes in teen movies have no idea what they want to do after high school, and in real life such indecision is a cultural expectation, so this is a change for the better. Unfortunately, the SAT's have decided he's not going to achieve his career goal. His friend is Matty Matthews(Bryan Greenberg), a less-depressed version of Cameron Frye from FERRIS BEULLER'S DAY OFF, who's father has planned to make him inherit the family septic business. Not that it isn't a useful job, but Matty has no desire to be part of it, even if his SATs have decided otherwise. After losing his college girlfriend as well, he coaxes Kyle into helping him steal the answers to the SATs, and both know they're going to need help from other students. Among those who join their plot are golden girl Anna Ross(Erika Christensen), future NBA star Desmond Rhodes(Darius McCray), Roy(Leonardo Nam), a seemingly lame burnout who just happened to be on the scene while the plot is being discussed, and Francesca Curtis(Scarlett Johannson), a rich girl with a school-bashing website who's father owns the building they need to break into. What can I say about Scarlet Johannson that hasn't been said by any other IMDb commentator? Well, personally I don't go for women who have her look, but she pulls it off nicely. Oh, and Francesca's dad dates women who are practically her age. Along the way the cast, and the audience finds out more about each other. Like that Roy is not as idiotic as he acts(although that doesn't vindicate his drug use), Kyle's idiot older brother shares his parents' pride in him, and Matty doesn't need his ex-girlfriend as an excuse to go to college. Other things we learn early on, like that Anna's tired of being the idolized, brainy goody-two-shoes everybody thinks she is, Francesca's hatred of school has nothing to do with her grades, and you do not want to get on Desmond's mother's bad side, something Desmond already knows, and Roy finds out for himself.
So why is a man on the edge of forty recommending a teen movie trying to be something it's not? Well, it was made by another man who's on the edge of forty, the cast is terrific, the characters and storyline are interesting, and in the effort to pretend it's something it isn't, it's willing to spoof a "John Hughes moment" the way NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE couldn't. So ignore the fact that the critics panned this movie, and rent a copy of it sometime.
The hero of this movie is Kyle(Chris Evans), a smart kid who's determined to seek a career in architecture. Most heroes in teen movies have no idea what they want to do after high school, and in real life such indecision is a cultural expectation, so this is a change for the better. Unfortunately, the SAT's have decided he's not going to achieve his career goal. His friend is Matty Matthews(Bryan Greenberg), a less-depressed version of Cameron Frye from FERRIS BEULLER'S DAY OFF, who's father has planned to make him inherit the family septic business. Not that it isn't a useful job, but Matty has no desire to be part of it, even if his SATs have decided otherwise. After losing his college girlfriend as well, he coaxes Kyle into helping him steal the answers to the SATs, and both know they're going to need help from other students. Among those who join their plot are golden girl Anna Ross(Erika Christensen), future NBA star Desmond Rhodes(Darius McCray), Roy(Leonardo Nam), a seemingly lame burnout who just happened to be on the scene while the plot is being discussed, and Francesca Curtis(Scarlett Johannson), a rich girl with a school-bashing website who's father owns the building they need to break into. What can I say about Scarlet Johannson that hasn't been said by any other IMDb commentator? Well, personally I don't go for women who have her look, but she pulls it off nicely. Oh, and Francesca's dad dates women who are practically her age. Along the way the cast, and the audience finds out more about each other. Like that Roy is not as idiotic as he acts(although that doesn't vindicate his drug use), Kyle's idiot older brother shares his parents' pride in him, and Matty doesn't need his ex-girlfriend as an excuse to go to college. Other things we learn early on, like that Anna's tired of being the idolized, brainy goody-two-shoes everybody thinks she is, Francesca's hatred of school has nothing to do with her grades, and you do not want to get on Desmond's mother's bad side, something Desmond already knows, and Roy finds out for himself.
So why is a man on the edge of forty recommending a teen movie trying to be something it's not? Well, it was made by another man who's on the edge of forty, the cast is terrific, the characters and storyline are interesting, and in the effort to pretend it's something it isn't, it's willing to spoof a "John Hughes moment" the way NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE couldn't. So ignore the fact that the critics panned this movie, and rent a copy of it sometime.