Normal Adolescent Behavior (2007) User Reviews

Why did I watch this movie? I had an essay due. >=(

[freedomformumia · 4/10 · 12 February 2009]

This movie was...terrible. I rented it from the store I work at because I thought it looked interesting, and I was just so disappointed. At the bottom of windows media player, I have a little timer that shows how much time is left in the movie. With twenty minutes left, I realized that I didn't care about any of the characters. I barely knew them! The only character that showed any development was Sean, and that was him turning into a complete jerk for no reason.

The movie makes no sense. Why would this chick ditch her best friends for a guy after knowing him for like two days, and continue to stay with him even after he starts treating her like trash? "I'M OFFERING YOU ME FOR THE FIVE OF THEM, WENDI!" Who cares? What is this guy,some kind of uber-boyfriend? And why was everyone in the movie so creepy? Also, the little brother had no point in the movie. He shows up for like a few minutes and completely creeps out Sean, then later on gets the hots for his mom. Then all of a sudden, BAM. The dad tells him that it's 'not a good time', and we never hear about that again. What, did Sean's parents disappear? The subplot is never resolved! It had some interesting dialogue, and it was kind of cool how the clique was just a microcosm of life as a teenager (or the media's portrayal of it, at any rate), but I just found myself bored watching this movie. If you're ever awake at 3 A.M. and have homework due, but decide to watch a movie instead, don't watch this one. It's unrealistic, uninteresting, and every single character will weird you out. Blah.

Watcheable but not not very deep

[TdSmth5 · 6/10 · 6 February 2015]

Six teens (3 girls, 3 guys) form some sort of mini-commune/club. They spend time just with each other. They have sex only with each other. They think of themselves as special, different, superior than the rest of the kids. Most importantly, the 3 girls in their minds don't see themselves as sluts, like all other girls are.

They have some rules for dealing with each other and with others, such as never lie (to each other). Each one has a box that belongs to another. In the box are things from the past that meant something, or that are somehow embarrassing.

One day, one of them, Wendy, meets the new guy in school, Sean. He quickly falls for her. She's different, smart, outspoken. Of course he wants to be with her, but she can't be with him because she can only be with her club. But Wendy's younger brother falls for Sean, so it seems. It's not clear what is going on with that kid.

Eventually Wendy falls for Sean, too, which of course causes tension withing the club. Billie in particular flips out. She ends up giving Wendy's box of secrets to Sean and he flips out and wants Wendy to burn it. Eventually Wendy has to confront Billie. And she'll have to decide whether to chose Sean or her friends.

Normal Adolescent Behavior, marketed as Havoc 2, has nothing to do with Havoc. It's a result of the hysteria some years before that about the supposed casual sex lives of teen girls. Of course no one cares about the sex lives of teen boys, or the casual sex lives of adults for that matter. How a group of kids that spends time having group sex among each other is supposed to laudable as opposed to sluts, is never clarified. Of course we're supposed to believe that the former or the latter is "normal" teen behavior. But sex isn't really what this movie is about. The topic of Greek tragedy comes up repeatedly and I guess we're supposed to see the movie as such, but I don't. The movie is about the drama of fitting it, of belonging, of finding someone, of family vs. outsiders. And as such it's a good movie. While there's not a whole lot of normal teen behavior featured, the teens are "normal" for Hollywood standards. That is, neither the obnoxious insufferable ones, nor the super strong, super smart ones featured in ever single show/movie these days. And for that reason the movie also lacks an impact. You witness a dramatic episodes in these kids' lives that isn't all that interesting. One problem is that quickly the movie centers on Wendy leaving the rest of the group aside and we learn nothing about them. Especially, the males of the group are completely disposable, while a lot is made of the bizarre and charicaturesque character of Wendy's brother which doesn't add much to the story to begin with.

Not what was advertised...

[antonchuks · 4/10 · 2 January 2008]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS>> This movie was OK at best. I was expecting something a bit more risqué. The scenes with group sex in them had no passion or feeling at all. In fact the only part with any boldness was the 'spanking' episode, and even that fizzled out.

This movie could have done with less heavy handed editing and maybe a little nudity. The poster makes it seem like something it isn't. It was also unfortunate that the plot with the brother and neighbor's wife never actually went anywhere. I don't know what that was all about, but it felt like a plot twist that got poorly edited out.

The acting is pretty good, at least. Both Amber Tamblyn and Kelli Garner were great, cute and watchable.

A light-year away from being honest

[carlos-edge · 3/10 · 10 August 2008]

The problems with this movie begin right at the title: Normal Adolescent Behavior. From it, one may have the impression that it's compromised whether of total immersion in the adolescent world - preferably from their own POV - or of a distant, even cold, analysis of that universe from an older generation's perspective.

Well, it tries, but it's neither.

In this movie, the teen Wendy (Amber Tamblyn in a solid performance, but compromised by a schizophrenic script) has a group of friends that stands out from the rest for being extremely liberal. Yes, that means they throw lots of parties with group sex, kinkiness, and stuff. The center of the plot, as predictably expected, however, is the process of Wendy's detachment from the group, especially from it's leader Billie (a great Kelli Garner - we actually grow to hate her!), and her falling-in-love-for-the-first-time. To sum up, it's about her becoming "mature".

Here we get to the movie's greatest flaw. It clumsily leaps from a highly stereotypical depiction of a group of friends who engage in intimate encounters (i.e. sex) under special rules, to a conservative view of what it is to grow up. Yes, conservative. This schizophrenia shows in the characters' actions and even in the dialogs (as noted by another reviewer here): it simply doesn't make its mind.

Why the aforementionedandquoted "conservative"? The growing up process, as the movie understands it, isn't really about Wendy building her own mind, ideas and personality: it's about leaving a group that has lots of sex. I'm not encouraging every teenager out there to have lots of almost-random sex or nothing like that lol! It's just that this movies sees growing up as being accepted by the society - which means conforming to social roles. Which means, again, paradoxically, thinking like the others. Then I ask: did Amber really grew up or did she just conformed to another group's (now the society in general) roles? That is for each one to decide, but MHO is expressed in the triple stars.

(Spoiler) Though, the film has it's merits, especially Amber's realization (and courage) to accepting that she can't leave the past behind, even by burning the box. That means that her boyfriend might leave her, making her changing process harder and lonelier (all her social world also needs to be reformulated). Instead of clinging to a man, however, she weakly - but decisively, and beautifully - clings to herself. That choice made me score the movie 3 instead of 2. It starts off from 2 because of Amber's beauty (hey I'm a guy, and she deserves! =) ) (Spoiler/)

I've read that this picture is somewhat autobiographical. If it is, it's a problem for the movie: they were HER problems and HER way of dealing with things. Now, from the complicated group to raising to society, it most certainly isn't Normal Adolescent Behavior: It's NAB for mothers. (To make things clear, I'm not yet far from being a teen) In the end, this is movie is a parents' "watch out for who you hang out with, sonny!", hypocritically cloaked in a created daughter's POV.

Want to see a closer try of depicting a girl with problem's mind and body (not in the pornographic way)? Watch Thirteen.

How can you make teen sex dull?

[heffay111 · 1/10 · 3 May 2007]

My wife and I chose to see Normal Adolescent Behavior at the Tribeca Film Festival because it sounded right up our alley. With our extended family including over 15 high school and college aged kids, we hate the the way that Hollywood portrays teens and were eager to see a film that was closer to the truth. I always root for the small filmmaker, as they always seem to make films that are more honest and real than Hollywood.

What we saw was a film that managed to take teen sex and make it dull. And fake. In fact, it takes teen group sex and makes it dull. How? Unfortunaltely in order to explain that I would have to insult the writer/director and I do not believe in anonymously insulting people on the internet. She seemed rather proud of herself at the Q&A after the film, so at least someone is happy with this movie. (My wife pointed out that none of the questions lead with the usual, "First of all, thank you for your great work.." intro that all Q&A questioners start with. I missed that detail.)

Suffice to say that the characters in this movie behave predictably and boringly. The plot itself is more thin than you can imagine. The characters are either saying something too immature for their age or too mature. Honestly, the emotional levels in this film feel like a bad episode of Melrose Place. (Note, I chose a TV show with characters in their late 20's. That's on purpose, because these kids vascillate between acting like they're 9 or acting like they're 27.) Oddly, the television show the OC (which I couldn't sit through but my wife watched for fun) had characters who are more believable high school students than these kids in Normal Adolescent Behavior. And those characters were awful.

I will add that technically it feels more like an amateur video than a movie. It is shot like a TV episode, with the camera always too close to the the actors. There are rarely establishing shots and there are many shots out of focus. The sound mix is also odd. Scenes inside a high school are quiet as a church with no ambiance at all, which adds to the lack of realism.

I would say more, but I've already been more critical than I wanted to be. Honestly, this was one of the worst films that I ever managed to sit all the way through.

I expect all of the kids I know to reject this film outright. If you thought my comments were negative, wait until this movie gets released. It just occurred to me that kids loved Napoleon Dynamite because, in spite of the ridiculousness of it, that film managed to portray that time in life honestly. Normal Adolescent Behavior will probably get a two word review from most. The first word is an animal with horns that loves cows and the second word is what that animal leaves behind a few hours after a good meal.

Honestly......it was god awful.

[sqrrllboi92 · 28 August 2007]

I saw this film at the Tribecca film festival earlier this year. To be completely honest with you, i think that it may be one of the worst movies i've seen. i was on the fence with my decision because some of the acting was very good, but i finally came to the realization, that this movie was dull, pretentious, obnoxious, poorly written and not well put together at all. Beth schacter seemed pretty pleased with herself at the premiere. I was not pleased, at all. The scenes did not flow together at all. It was amazingly noticeable when a scene changed. The dialogue was flimsy, and often times hipocritical.Half of the point was to show these teenagers as teenagers, but then they would just come out with these insanely mature things to say. It left you sitting there saying "where the hell did that come from?" Another thing...teens and sex. NOTHING new was said on the topic. Alright, teenagers are engaging in rather risky sexual behaviors at younger ages, heard it before, what else you got? Tone in the movie was probably the first thing i noticed. The movie would just take you through moods like it wasn't no thing. It would make you chuckle at one point, then INSTANTLY try to get you sad and somber. It expected you to switch emotions like you would a lamp. It wasn't working, at all. Finally, I have a question for Ms. Schacter. Just what was the message about teenagers you were trying to get across? Cuz it seemed to me you were sort of confused yourself. Are you trying to say that being a teenager is one of the greatest times of life? That we should all be nostalgic for our days of puberty? Or are you trying to say that as teenagers, we are all selfish creatures, taking no regard for others feelings while living in a world of 'me'? I honestly don't want this movie released, it's not shocking, it's not interesting, it's not controversial, and there's nothing new said here, at all. Life is too short for such a pretentiously dull movie.

terrible

[redstar-17 · 3/10 · 4 May 2007]

I have to say that I saw this film at the tribeca film festival and it was terrible. The director said the film was partially autobiographical, and it shows. It seems that she was completely unable to write and direct from an objective distance. As a result what we get is a completely unrealistic dialog and plot.

Many of the situations are completely improbable. She exspects us to believe that these teenagers have group sex in the living room. A kid has a stripper pole installed in their basement. Where are their parents? You see them in two scenes. It takes a lot of potential tension out of the movie. I can't believe that there wouldn't be fear of being caught in these situations.

If you want to watch a movie about teen sex watch Kids, or Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Beth Schacter Cracks Open a Six-Pack

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 28 November 2009]

Six "20-something" high school students have been best friends forever. Upon coming of age, they decide to avoid adolescent sexual angst by pledging to only screw around with each other. But, things get sticky for the sextet when hot Amber Tamblyn (as Wendy Bergman) gets a load of hunky new neighbor Ashton Holmes (as Sean Mayer). Should Ms. Tamblyn stay with her sex buds - Kelli Garner (as Billie), Raviv Ullman (as Price), Stephen Colletti (as Robert), Julia Garro (as Ann), and Edward Tournier (as Jonah) - or split for Sean?

Surprisingly, nobody considered having Mr. Holmes join the group. This would have made the film more dynamic, and could still deal with the "one" v "multiple" partners debate. Also, Holmes could teach Ms. Garner (the only one who never broke the rules of the group) how to give a good spanking; because, as the group's unofficial leader, she really should know. The spanking scene between Tamblyn and Holmes is about as daring as the sexcapades get - although some more adventurous fun is implied to be going on.

For some reason (possibly, to deceive you into thinking there is more nudity in this film), the studio decided to re-title this film "Normal Adolescent Behavior: Havoc 2" somewhere along the way to its DVD release. Be advised, "Normal Adolescent Behavior" has nothing to do with "Havoc" (2005), which was a good story derailed by some strained performances (Freddy Rodriguez was good, though).

This film features a very connected Tamblyn (from "General Hospital", and the daughter of Russ Tamblyn) giving writer/director Beth Schacter an excellent lead performance. Tamblyn shows the dramatic fire of young Sally Field; hopefully, she'll have a long, successful career. And, you may recognize "Raviv Ullman" is indeed "Ricky Ullman" from "Phil of the Future", showing dramatic range of his own.

Ms. Schacter works incredibly well with the cast. In probably the best-written of the secondary roles, Ms. Garner shows why she should be a more well-regarded actress. Actually, all the supporting cast members, including "Watchmen" comic reader and cookin' little brother Daryl Sabara (as Nathan), leave you wanting to see more of their film work... so, can anyone explain, after seeing him in this film, why Mr. Tournier has only ONE feature film credit?

******* Normal Adolescent Behavior (4/27/07) Beth Schacter ~ Amber Tamblyn, Ashton Holmes, Kelli Garner, Ricky Ullman

Laughably Horrible

[hokiefilm · 3/10 · 21 October 2007]

I watched this movie expecting it to be pretty good in the fashion of Dazed and Confused... something like that. It definitely was not. It took about an hour for the plot to get moving- the beginning is nothing but a compilation of scenes of a group of six friends hanging out. They're friends- we get it. Then, when the plot finally does start moving somewhere, it's slow and completely unrealistic. I was a relatively wild teenager not too long ago, but this film is just ridiculous- the group plays some sort of game where they put things in their own little box and they can take things out but have to explain to the other members of their little group why they are doing this. Also, there are rules like you always have to be honest. Oh, and they all have sex with each other. Because, you know, that fits so naturally within the poorly developed rules of the game they play. It really is just outlandishly dumb. While the story hints at a possible interesting twist at times- one of the friends turns out to be gay, but comes out in the last quarter of the movie to the main character, after which it's not mentioned again- the overall story is poorly developed and plays out unnaturally. The main character and her boyfriend are developed relatively well, but the rest of the supporting ensemble is horribly written and two-dimensional. The movie, in perfect over-the-top-attempt-at-artsy-fashion ends with a climactic outburst from the main character, yelling out all of her friends' secrets to the entire school (although, oddly enough, all of her friends seem to find this inspiring-even though she reveals things to the public about STDs and sex games-with the exception of her best friend, aka: the main villain) and then a short dialogue-less scene of the 6 friends finally becoming independent.

Seriously, don't waste your time or money.

What I thought of Normal Adolescent Behavior

[Amalthea1187 · 7/10 · 18 September 2007]

It was late one night and I decided to watch Normal Adolescent Behavior on lifetime and thought it was an interesting film. It's about a girl Wendy and her five closest best friends who engage in sexual actives together so they don't have to go through the heart break of having boyfriends and girlfriends and breaking up and hooking up and all of that. And so her life is fine the way it is. Until this boy moves in next door. She starts to fall in love with this boy and she starts to fall in love with her. One day he asks her to give up everything that she has ever known her relationship with her best friends the way she entirely lives her life to be with him and Wendy must make a choice between him and the others. I think it could have a been a bit more raunchy to be more realistic. And the first part of the story line was strong enough to carry a whole movie let alone an outside romance with this boy. I thought they could have put more of the relationship between Wendy and her friends into the film and that it focused too much on her trying to get with this boy and individualize herself from the group.

Pointless and Shallow Club of Kinky Sex

[claudio_carvalho · 3/10 · 2 August 2010]

The six suburban high-school friends Wendy (Amber Tamblyn), Billie (Kelli Garner), Ann (Julia Garro), Jonah (Edward Tournier), Price (Raviv Ullman) and Robert (Stephen Colletti) share a sexual relationship among them since elementary school swapping partners without regrets or excuses. When the newcomer Sean (Ashton Holmes) moves to the next door of Wendy coming from Chicago, the girl feels attracted by him. But her bond with her friends split her feelings between the normal relationship with the conservative Sean and the kinky sex she uses to have with her mates. Meanwhile her younger brother Nathan (Daryl Sabara) has a crush on Sean's mother Helen (Kelly Lynch) and uses his ability of cooking to try to seduce her.

"Normal Adolescent Behavior" is a pointless and shallow coming of age story of a group of promiscuous friends from dysfunctional families that have a club of kinky sex. The unrealistic characters do not have any previous development of their motives for such behavior and their fake relationship is simply thrown to the viewers through the dramatic dilemma of Wendy that has a past and does not know if she shall be another slut in her group of friends or the girlfriend of a nice guy. I do not know the background or the (mental) age of the writer and director Beth Schacter, but she certainly might have impressed teenagers in the wrong way with this stupid and dull story. The title is awful and mislead the viewers and should be "The Society Is Made of Rules", no matter whether it is a brotherhood of sex or the conventional society. The good point is the acting of these promising young actors and actresses that could not do better with this terrible screenplay. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Rebeldes Sem Causa" ("Rebels without Cause")

A movie that uses sex to show relationships, not sensationalism

[gileadgrrl13 · 9/10 · 16 September 2007]

I was astounded by the very negative reviews I read here, I thought the movie Normal Adolescent Behavior was fantastic. The use of the group-sex pact I thought, really showed how people grow up and evolve. While some viewers may say it was over-the-top, I have to disagree, although the situation is pretty unusual, those kinds of things happen every once and a while, things that sound so bizarre, parents don't even take the rumors seriously. It was so thought-provoking, days after seeing this film I kept analyzing what relationships really mean, a major theme of the movie. You see how with all of these so-called "liberated" sexual practices in teen culture, such as nameless sex partners and girls going down on boys for status hurts teens' ability to have healthy sexual relationships. I, as a highschooler can also vouch that things such as the party scenes are not unrealistic, just kept very quiet. I talked to my mother about the issues of this film, and any movie that can spark discussions between teenagers and adults about sex, I think, is a good thing.

Potentially a good movie

[cocomo1997 · 6/10 · 4 January 2008]

I rented this movie without knowing what it was about, and therefore I had no expectations. The first thing I liked about the movie was that there was a large group of friends represented, and that stereotypes at seemingly been thrown out the window. Of course, the high school representation wasn't very realistic on the whole.

I liked the characters, but i thought that the movie could have been so much better if Amber Tamblyn's "Wendy" wasn't the only main subject in the movie. The group of friends is so tight, and they've been together since elementary, so I didn't buy that Wendy's choice to leave the group would cause the friends to disband, seemingly forever.

Personally i think a more realistic angle would've been to showcase each individual in the group of friends, as they all seemed to have an interesting back story. The characters Robert and Jonah for instance, are revealed to have been sleeping together at the end. Both characters were practically mute throughout the film. I feel their story could have been explored more. As could've Pryce's insecurities within his tight knit group, and Billie's controlling need for them all to be together. Ann could've been given a bit more depth as well. I feel it would've been more realistic if all their problems were explored and the group disbanded because of all of them, not just Wendy's whims with love outside the circle.

Speaking of which, their love didn't seem interesting enough for her to want out of her friend's arrangement so bad. The character Sean just seemed like an ass.

Overall i enjoyed the friends together since they all seemed to click rather well, but thought that the plot was poorly done.

Terrible with no point...

[pdubs10 · 2/10 · 28 December 2008]

While the acting is nothing stellar, the real problem with this film is the writing. It tries for the unscripted, natural feel and only succeeds in making it seem unpolished and amateurish. There's nothing to set apart the way that it's filmed and the music selection is a bit over-dramatic.

Film-making qualities aside, it still doesn't have a compelling story. It's completely inaccurate and unrealistic and takes itself far too seriously to be a dark farce of the whole clique-of-friends-who-sleep-together. The characters are lacking in any personality except for a few minor roles. It's a shame this film is even associated with Havoc, which is well-filmed and at least has a point to it.

Better than the first

[memocar36 · 5/10 · 30 January 2009]

This movie is called Havoc: 2 Normal Adolescent Behavior I am guessing it is part two to Havoc starring Anne Hathaway which I thought was really bad. But this movie was fairly good it shows you that perfectly smart teens can do things you wouldn't expect I mean its like a teenage swingers club if you ask me.

I mean all the sex they never really did anything normal with each other like go to the movies and stuff so there was nothing ever normal about their behavior. Then again it also makes you question a one on one relationships. It seems like the guy was trying to save her and I wish there was a better ending like you see him burning the box and her actually acknowledging her brother but it wasn't like your typical happy ending.

A TV afterschool-special for the unparented and dramatic

[nathanschubach · 5/10 · 2 March 2012]

I would recommend this movie to fans of KIDS, Bully, Wassup Rockers, City of God, or even Mean Girls. The characters felt very much like moments in "The Craft" minus the witchcraft elements (with Kelli Garner invoking Fairuza Balk at moments in this movie). The music and costuming was great; it's based on the Washington State indie, DIY culture that was prevalent at the time (they snuck a K Records Label sticker on one of the group's boxes). The plot felt a bit like a sexualized, TV afterschool-special which included an original story and group of high school seniors. At times it felt like they were ripping off "American Pie," but I've always rooted for the weird girls like these characters seem to feel they are. There are no real camera/special FX tricks other than a montage of flesh during the sex scenes (no nudity is showed during these other than sides of one's back or something). All in all, it's an indie film with a slight edge, but it doesn't really blow your mind in many ways. I would check out the films listed in the first sentence of this review first and watch this one last.

Beth Schacter films her teenage memories; wonder what the other involved parties think about the movie?

[RavenGlamDVDCollector · 5/10 · 27 January 2016]

Watched HAVOC just more than two weeks ago, expecting a relationship drama featuring teenage promiscuity, but instead got a gang-banger-theme featuring teenage promiscuity. Watching NORMAL ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR this week, expected a follow-up to HAVOC, a remake of sorts. But no, this one is a gentle movie with gentle characters bar a few tempers flaring. It's kind of disappointing, too, but my real problem during the premiere was that I couldn't make out what they were saying. Hell, people, I ain't deaf, but clear pronunciation is not big with the Newer Generations. Subtitle city! I checked on IMDb, some reviewers, obviously young, involved in the social scene of the day, hold this in high regard. So I went to subtitles, and I must admit that during my second outing with the movie, I developed more of an involvement. The movie is better than I thought. Sherbet, you need subtitles though. There are sentences that otherwise just cannot be discerned.

There is very little nudity in this film. Bare backs with a fleeting distant side view of breasts do appear three or so times. Aside from that, it is feet, hands, backs, legs, arms, so somebody was really playing it safe. I am not going to suggest that it should have been different, because maybe Amber Tamblyn took the part stipulating just exactly this, and she was really right for the part, so I wouldn't want to tamper with what we got. But in the unlikely event of there being a HAVOC 3, I'd say Something Wilder next time.

This one is a chick flick which definitely doesn't add up to the meaning of the word 'havoc' and so it should have remained NORMAL ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR with no reference to the Anne Hathaway movie.

Truth be told, there are way better teen dramas out there, better teenage promiscuity dramas too. But Amber Tamblyn did great, and that little junior star was noteworthy, I keep forgetting her name, the one with the darling fringe like Carly Rae Jeppsen. Had to peek now, Julia Gallo. (nowadays Laila Liliane Gallo, kinky! whatever works for you, pet)

Noticed that the storyline has them as in that group where they don't have to play the games of society. Yet they are all highly individualistic, a nose stud here, a nose job there...

What was up with those boxes though? Big deal! A seventies thing. Today's kids certainly wouldn't be bothered by mere trivialities.

Ideal for a rainy afternoon, but when the sun peeks through...

Billie is the best thing in this movie.

[vee-vee · 7/10 · 15 September 2019]

I don't want to get into how this movie portrays misogyny and the objectification of women like a natural part of adolescence. It does. And it's sickening and unfair to women... but like I said... I don't want to get into it.

I just want to praise Kelli Garner for being the best thing in this movie. Her facial expressions, her witty retorts, her sarcastic yet genuine way of dealing with anything thrown at her. I can't get enough of it. She's just awesome.

Chasing Amy, the early years

[rooprect · 8/10 · 19 February 2015]

If you're drawn to this movie because of its DVD box description--something about a "scorching", "seductive", "dangerous" and "sizzling hot" drama--hmm, you might be let down. Ironically enough, if you're somewhat turned off by that sensational marketing but decide to watch it anyway, read on because there's a real treat in store.

I have absolutely no clue how I ended up watching this. I'm well past my teen years, and what's more, my teen years weren't exactly something anyone would write a movie about. My high school experience was about as sizzling hot as the Brady Bunch. I didn't really want to see a bunch of stylish supermodel teenagers doing all the naughty things I wish I could've done in some alternate universe designed by Mtv.

Well, almost immediately I realized that's not the angle this movie chose to take. First of all, the acting is very genuine. Not like a bunch of cool vampires who speak entirely in clever 1-liners, but the way real humans speak to each other: sometimes awkward, sometimes goofy, with very real emotion and natural language, almost as if the actors departed from the script and would ad lib their lines, jokes and reactions. So OK, I thought, real characters and believable dialogue is a major plus. I'll keep watching another 20 minutes or so. (Aside: be sure to watch the deleted scenes for some amazing, brutally honest scenes with excellent acting. Why they got cut I have no idea except that maybe "real life" type conversations are too boring for the average moviegoer?)

And then the real theme of the story emerges, grabbing me hook, line, and sinker. Sure, it's about a bunch of teens who form a strange (some would say perverse) 6-way love hexagon. But really their strange arrangement is meant to be the opposite of the rampant, casual sex hookups that all the other high schoolers are trying to do. Make no mistake: this is NOT about any sort of diabolical kinky sex orgy. The director was very careful to avoid all that, as well as drugs, alcohol (ok maybe I saw 1 beer), and gratuitous profanity, because all of that would've upstaged the real point of the story.

And so the central question emerges: is an exclusive 6-way love relationship morally inferior to a love life of fleeting hookups? Or more directly to the point: is it better to have a bunch of trusted friends-with-benefits, or take your chances in the whole boyfriend-girlfriend meat market? Furthermore, what happens when you fall for someone who can't understand the logic in your deviation from the norm?

This is what I meant by "Chasing Amy" in my title. "Normal Adolescent Behavior" challenges the viewer by presenting a type of "abnormal" or "deviant" sexual idea that can actually make more sense than our normal human mating rituals. And, as in Chasing Amy, severe conflict arises when a deviant character and a normal character fall for each other.

What I really liked about this movie is that nothing is canned. Nothing is black & white predictable, and each character undergoes dynamic changes just like we do in real life. Nobody is the designated good guy or the obligatory villain (although Kelli Garner "Billie" has a few awesome psycho scenes that would make Glenn Close shake in her boots). What we get is a very appealing, realistic and mature portrayal of relationships that could apply to anyone, not just 17-year-old high schoolers.

In fact, the high school setting made this story more universal because it wasn't weighed down by the adult baggage that grownups have. Also this movie remains relatively tame, believe it or not. There is some nudity but only when necessary to convey a point, and even then the nudity is obscured or blurred.

So yes, if you're looking for a scorching sizzling seductive late-nighter, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you're up for an intelligent, morally challenging exposé of love, sexuality and the bizarre mating rituals of the human species, then grab your popcorn and settle in.

Honest and Real

[bgoldklang · 9/10 · 3 May 2007]

As a teenager, myself I defiantly was interested in seeing this movie. It looked as though it would have portrayed an average teenagers life accurate as opposed to the wholesome "teen flicks" out there. I went to this movie with a friend of mine who is also a teenager and we left the movie theater speechless because the movie literally astounded us. Not only was the movie well edited and shot wonderfully, it was also profoundly truthful. Of course, a few of the party scenes were a little outrageous but it is a movie and some things are going to be unrealistic. As an older viewer they may think this movie is a far cry from what there teenage years were like but in a teenage modern society it is more adult and sexual then one might think. Amber Tambyln as well as the other young actors did a marvelous job portraying their characters and the raw emotion that was felt. I recommend this movie to anyone! PS. the soundtrack was amazing as well!

Stayed with me for weeks

[RedEye0101 · 9/10 · 8 June 2007]

I have to disagree with those who didn't like the film. I saw it at Tribeca as well and I thought it was terrific. That said, I think one's perspective on this film has a lot to do with what you bring to it.

If your own adolescent experience was intensely emotional and you were sexually active at a young age, then this film feels like someone stole your diary. Yes, scenes are highly charged and the characters' reactions are large. But if you lived it, you reacted that way yourself.

As I watched it, I felt that I had been in the place of almost every character at one point or another: the inexperienced person overwhelmed with jealousy and with a terribly romantic idea of love, the hyper-experienced person shunned and judged for their choice outside the bounds of "normal", an average member in thrall to the charismatic leader, and the manipulative leader who fears the loss of their group if anyone exits or enters without permission. I played each and every one of those roles somewhere between time I was 16 and 21.

Ultimately, this is a film about our petty obsessions and the intensity with which they rule our lives. If you loved reading Scott Spencer's "Endless Love", Nabokov's "Lolita", Patrick Süskind's "Perfume", or "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice, you will probably be drawn to this world.

Complications at the Cuddle Puddle

[Rack-Focus · 8/10 · 27 April 2007]

"Normal Adolescent Behavior" (NAB) is a sweet and smart coming of age film. It explores with great sensitivity the moment when first love collides with childhood friendship. The situation is further complicated since these friends are also sex partners. Or as Julia Garro (Ann) said at the film's Tribeca Premiere, it's about relationships and "our (teens) delaying the inevitable" – growing up.

Writer/director Beth Schacter says she drew from the Broadway play "Spring Awakening," plus research and experience, though not her own, to create the film.

NAB centers on what happens when Sean (Ashton Holmes) moves next door to Wendy (Amber Tamblyn) and disrupts her comfort zone. Wendy and her five friends since elementary school have created a "Green Zone" to shield themselves against adolescence angst. Each Saturday their bisexual "cuddle puddle" of three boys and three girls meets to share their hearts, minds and bodies. Within their group they are accepted and loved. "Everyone is beautiful," Wendy tells Sean. It's a safe arrangement that Billie (Kelli Garner) hopes will continue forever. She dreams they'll live next door to one another after college.

Sean's arrival complicates all that. Wendy begins to wonder if she wants more and her restless is felt by the group.

NAB's strength lies with its characters and acting. Missing are the typical teen flick stereotypes – jocks, cheerleaders, nerds and slackers. In their place are completely drawn human beings who face real problems and exist outside any clique. For example Wendy wonders how to be a girlfriend and whether she even wants that role.

And it is Wendy who makes this movie. Amber Tamblyn is terrific and terribly believable as the high school senior with choices. And the rest of the cast gives her ample support.

The only question about this movie is how it will fare at the box office. It's a chick flick and a smart one at that so it may have trouble finding its audience. Adults may see it as a "teen movie" which is really is not and teens may find it too serious for a date or night out, though it does have numerous funny moments and a hilarious sub-plot.

So if it shows up at a multiplex near you, see it fast. It is worth the trip.

Doesn't Deserve to be titled as a sequel!

[kailikatherine · 8/10 · 16 October 2007]

Okay. Not sequel in the usual sense. But it does have Havoc 2 in the title. This movie by far puts Havoc the first movie; with Anne Hathaway, to shame. Miss. Hathaways acting was superb but the movie missed so much. This one's incredibly original. No it doesn't portray average teenagers today, but its a movie. Its suppose to be different and intriguing and lure you into another world. Even though these friends are not normal, the way the movie was made, the way the story was built, and of course the acting make it all believable. Made me feel like I felt when I saw The Craft in 5th grade. Truth be told the movies are similar in structure. Anyway, Props to all the people who worked on the move!

Normal Adolescent Behavior=good movie!

[sugarrush_82791 · 10/10 · 2 June 2008]

I just recently saw the movie Normal Adolescent Behavior, I saw the commercial for the movie, and thought it looked really interesting. I thought the movies theme was great, "group sex" is something that isn't very uncommon these days, some people think that the movies tries to portray all teenagers, but in actuality it just portray a single "family" of friends, and should not be taken in offense. I thought the story line was great, some other people think that the story was "jumpy" and switched moods fast, but thats what teenage life is like, one minutes content, the next erratic, so it really portrayed teenage life correctly. Anyways, i really enjoyed the movie, and the acting was wonderful.

wonderful told story

[westreal · 9/10 · 30 March 2008]

Sometimes it needs unknown people to produce such great teen movies.No more comedy like,no more fizz and fuzz and buzz it's a real deal .Normal Adolescent Behavior tells the story of 6 friends ,sharing everything together since childhood,now turned teens,a big happy family with twisted ideas about future,the truth be told many of us could find ourselves between those lines when we were young and heartbroken but nonetheless,love is to hurt and one should not hide himself behind friendship just for not feeling hurt.It's such a great modern story acted pretty good i might say and done by the book.My teen years were not like that even though i had close friends we didn't hang out in the same way..but i could understand the story so far and i rate it 9/10. Enjoyable for any age to watch ! Teens to learn,parent-like to understand and aging to remember !!