Crazy/Beautiful (2001) User Reviews

Nicely crafted teen movie--for a change

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 19 November 2001]

It's not often that we see a REAL teen movie nowadays. I live in Jersey City, so I personally can't relate to these teen flicks involving blonde airheads and guys who look like they just jumped off the pages of "Tiger Beat."

In "Crazy/Beautiful" one of the main characters is a Hispanic--played beautifully by Jay Hernandez who I hope to see in more and more movies--which I CAN relate to. Most of the friends I know are of Hispanic origin, and it's very rare that you see a Hispanic as a lead in a film like this. And Jay's Hispanic character wasn't used merely as a tool in creating melodrama in a preachy "West Side Story" manner.

Kirsten Dunst pretty much gives the best performance of her career. I like how they didn't put much makeup on her face, giving her a much more real look. I think Kirsten is one of the most beautiful young actresses in the biz, so I think she's beautiful no matter how little makeup she wears. So I'm not going to say it was a plus that they made her look "ugly." She didn't look ugly, but at the same time she looked like a real teenage girl and it added to her character.

Bruce Davison has a great supporting role as Kirsten's father. Of course, in all teen movies, they feel it's needed to add a top-class, veteran actor to the cast to give it a touch of class. Well, that's one cliche of teen movies that I don't mind and Bruce was great, proving himself as one of our great, underrated actors.

I like how Jay's character is never really discriminated against by Kirsten's white-collar Dad--who's a Congressman. None of this "You're dating a man of another race???" or "You're dating a man of low-class" crap. The film skips through all that, being that Jay is a well-to-do individual who has his head up high and wants to become a pilot. The Dad has nothing against that, in fact he wants to help him out, setting him up with an interview and everything. But he doesn't want him to see his daughter, because of the way she is. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't reveal what exactly her problem is. So I thought that was a good way of flipping this sub-genre on its head. Usually it's the father who doesn't want the daughter to date the guy, because he doesn't like who she's dating. In this case, he didn't want the two of them to go together, because he's concerned about the boyfriend.

I only have a few problems with this film. First off, you never really get the feeling that Kirsten has a severe problem between the beginning and end. So it feels like her disorder was used strictly as a dramatic tool. Through most of the film, she's amazingly jovial. We see her drinking once in a while, but let's face it--what teen doesn't? And I thought--especially for a PG-13 film--they went overboard with the sex scenes. I'm not saying that they were explicit, but there was a good deal of them. I was thinking, as watching certain portions of the film, what my Dad said: "The love in most romantic movies nowadays seems to be based more on sex than love." Don't get me wrong, we do get a feel of the love--not lust--between Jay and Kirsten, but they could've trimmed the sex just a bit. It just came off in the wrong way.

For those looking for an escape from most of the lame teen flicks that have been fed to us in previous years, I recommend you check this one out. It's a shame that this movie didn't reach a big audience in theaters. I really hope more people will go out and rent this film, because it's very good.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Nicely made romantic teen movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 17 November 2005]

This is a great executed romantic teen movie. Even though nothing in the story of course happens as a real surprise, the movie still knows how to create a believable and touching story about love with more than enough original touches in it.

The main reason why the movie works so well is thanks to the two main actors of the movie; Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez. Both are great in their roles and their love story in the movie is believable and realistic. Their cultural difference are nicely shown in the movie but their social class difference is perhaps a bit underdeveloped and underused. They could had done some nice things with this story element, so it's a bit of a missed opportunity for the movie.

The story is nicely told and the stereotypical elements of a romantic teen movie are as much as possible avoided. It succeeds most of the time in this and because of that the movie is better than the average romantic teen comedy.

It's a perfectly watchable movie mainly targeted towards teens, however also different age groups should be able to appreciate this movie and its love story. A recommendable movie but by no means a must see of course.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Much like The Karate Kid caught a lot of people off-guard by its charm, likeability, and believability -- not the action aspect so much as the romance between Ralph Macchio and Elisabeth Shue -- crazy/beauti

[chrisbrown6453 · 6/10 · 18 July 2001]

The reason would be the two leads, Kirsten Dunst (Interview with the Vampire, Bring It On) and Jay Hernandez (only having done a handful of TV and small movie work). What looks like the set-up of a cliché-filled storyline on the outside -- high-schoolers Dunst as the troubled daughter of a U.S. Senator, and Hernandez as the intelligent inner-city kid meet up and fall in love -- takes on a fresh twist (and "fresh" is a good thing -- especially in film today). With the dialogue seeming mostly improvisational, the romance is impressively convincing. Dunst is already familiar to film audiences -- making great strides at a very young age with Vampire -- but this could arguably be her finest turn. You do feel something for her character, as screwed up as she can be. But even "screwed up" people need love, too, and you do want her to succeed. And good performances apparently rubbed off on Hernandez as well, giving sensational insight into a conflicted character torn between duty to family and education versus his love for Dunst. The story does take a turn for the... well... crazy near the end but recovers nicely -- and without being too preachy or schmaltzy. Don't expect greatness, but don't be shocked if you like it.

Wild rich white schoolgirl and much poorer Latino form a relationship. Great acting. Sensitively portrayed

[Steve-176 · 26 November 2001]

In Crazy Beautiful Kirsten Dunst (Interview With A Vampire, Bring It On) plays Nicole a rich girl at high school who befriends a first generation Mexican lad called Carlos (Jay Hernandez).

Nicole and Carlos hit it off in spite of Carlos's reservations about the wild (crazy/beautiful) Nicole. He's from a poor family and keen to do well at his studies. She's on a path of self destruction, at least academically, probably physically. Carlos hopes to go to the navy academy and become a pilot.

Now this sounds fairly ho hum but is brought successfully to the screen by very strong acting performances from both Dunst and Hernandez and also by Bruce Davison who plays Nicole's Dad Tom.

These characters are flawed and therefore interesting. The film is mindful of how complicated real people are.

Nicole is a carouser, drunk or stoned most of the time. Jay is level headed but becomes overwhelmed by Nicole. Dad certainly doesn't think he has all of the answers.

Crazy/Beautiful is inspired a little by the inter racial aspect of the relationship but much more by the veracity of the performances.

4 Crazy Flys Out Of Five

A Sensitive And Caring Drama

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 August 2009]

Crazy/Beautiful is a poignant teen film about a rich girl in Kirsten Dunst who's a behavioral problem to her father Bruce Davison and stepmother Lucinda Janney. When East LA Barrio kid Carlos Hernandez first meets her, she's doing community service picking up trash on the beach. They discover they go to the same school.

Hernandez is her total opposite. He's doing a two hour commute to her 90210 type high school he can reap the advantages thereof. He's a hardworking student and top football player and he wants to go to Annapolis. Oh by the way, when Hernandez meets Davison, she's forgotten to tell him that daddy is a Congressman.

Davison is a liberal sort so the racial thing doesn't terribly bother him. But he thinks Hernandez will screw himself up if he gets involved with Dunst. God knows she's doing a wonderful job of that in her family relationships.

This was to be a big breakout role for Hernandez who was fresh from the TNBC morning show Hang Time. If he hasn't had quite the career a lot including myself expected of him, not the fault of this film because he and Dunst are a very attractive couple. Crazy/Beautiful is a sensitive and caring drama, a good film for the younger audience.

One of the few teen films this summer to have some guts

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 1 July 2001]

Crazy/Beautiful stars Kirten Dunst as a troubled and crazy girl who will often do what she likes, to some people's dismay, one being her father (Bruce Davison) who is a good man, but doesn't know how to handle her daughter.

Enter Jay Hernandez, as a Mexican-American kid who is also basically good, he gets good grades, hangs out with his friends and doesn't try and get into trouble (sort of like Cheech before he met Chong). But then he meets this girl, and the two fall in love, with ease and time though, which is realistic for a teen movie.

I like that, plus that finally Dunst has tried to grow up a little with her roles as she takes a romantic drama on her hands. She does it very nicely, with Hernandez also being a good boyfriend. It is actually a worthy teen romantic/drama. However, and I wish I didn't have to bring up this again, but how many times do I have to see a teen movie, or any type of movie in general, where the only reason it's rated PG-13 is not because of the artistci stance, but because the studio wants more money with a PG-13 movie. I can think of Crazy/Beautiful as a rated R movie and having even more guts, realism, and more and it would make this a excellent movie, but no, kids have to get the chance to see teens that get drunk and drive and all that. I mean, think of it this way, the only 2 Dunst movies that are really known AND are rated R movies arew The Virgin Suicides (ala Coppolla magic) and Interview with the Vampire. Hopefully someday Hollywood will realize that rated R movies might be better that PG-13 movies and that just upping the sales for the movie won't matter.

I won't keep my hopes up. B+

Very impressed - go Kirsten!

[Ben_Cheshire · 7/10 · 1 October 2003]

Kirsten Dunst gets a guernsey for her performance in this stylish film about teenage romance - a film which achieves the difficult task of making us look afresh at that so trodden topic. This is not the usual hollywood thoroughfare. Music and visuals fantastic - Kirsten is at the same time sexy and realistically flawed.

Watch out for the stepmother - i had a giggle about it: she can't act!

4 stars.

Surprised me

[rjc739 · 8/10 · 3 January 2005]

I caught five minutes of this then decided to watch more of it and I was pleasantly surprised at what a superb actress Kirsten Dunst is! She is so natural and at ease in front of a camera. The chemistry between her and the boyfriend is the best you will ever see and that's why I watched this movie. I felt like I was eavesdropping in on two young teenagers throughout the whole movie. The story is very simple and just chronicles the life of these two high-schoolers who fall in love by pure chance (the romance is instigated by Dunst and she does a great job). I think everyone will be able to relate to the characters and story in this movie. These are real-life characters and they are not overly stereotyped which was surprising, as well. The leading actor did a fantastic job, too. There is zero shock value thrown into this movie to try and put you on the edge of your seat which is something you don't find in Hollywood movies and which was really nice. Mostly every scene involves Kirsten and her boyfriend and they pull it off. There aren't many actors that can say that they can do that. This movie is entertaining throughout and will keep your attention. Already I like Kirsten more than I ever liked Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, Daryl Hannah, Winona Ryder, Chistine Ricci, Catherine Zeta Jones, Kate Winslet, Sharon Stone, or any of these younger female celebrities. The direction in this movie is very good. If you want a real nice relaxing evening and you don't want to watch something with a lot of hype, drama, violence, stereotypes, people pitting each other against one another, etc. then I recommend this movie. I will definitely look for more of Kirsten in the future.

Some Different Takes on the Romeo and Crazy Juliet Teen Movie

[noralee · 6/10 · 12 December 2005]

"crazy/beautiful" is the first teen romance I've seen, since, well, since the last Kirsten Dunst movie. I used to go to a lot of teen flicks, but they were getting so bad even I couldn't stoop to ogle that much.

The writers clearly saw "Mad Love" and said "We can do better than that." And they do. They follow a very similar story line and add a non-stereotypical Latino twist for a different take on Romeo and Crazy Juliet.

Bruce Davison also helps as a believable father, even if the step-mother is the usual Yuppie trophy wife.

While the ending isn't entirely believable, it is satisfying for a movie.

The constant music selections, including several that the characters sing along with, are not the usual Top 40, with several by groups I hadn't even heard of; though I was 100% sure I heard David Gray in one scene but his song wasn't listed in the credits.

(originally written 7/13/2001)

What teen movies should be...

[Contacted · 9/10 · 1 July 2001]

For a long while now Ive been bombarded with teen movies that are crap. Written by people who forgot what it was like, less mature than teenagers themselves. Ive been waiting for a movie that was took itself seriously without being pretentious. That was mature and REAL. This is such a find. This movie is consistently good. Dialogue, Music, Acting, especially the cinematography and directing which just made the movie. It doesnt struggle to be hip or witty, theres no B.S.

The story isn`t complicated but it works. It`s just about the love between two people, how it affects the both of them and the journey which Kirsten Dunst`s character goes through. If your tired of the mindless repetitive teen crap, see this movie and appreciate it.

An emotionally troubled young woman falls in love.

[ruthierocks · 4/10 · 14 May 2004]

Kirsten Dunst stars in this weak teen drama as Nicole, a young woman with a troubling relationship with her father and stepmother. Nicole meets Carlos (Jay Hernandez), a serious student. After they start spending time together, Carlos somewhat loses sight of his priorities. He stops hanging around his friends, his grades drop, and he wants more independence from his mother. Nicole has some problems. She drinks, parties, and does drugs, but soon Carlos begins to see that he's falling in love with Nicole. In order to get in good with her father, an important businessman, he has to stop hanging around her. Now he has to decide what to do.

The movie is so-so. The characters don't develop enough before developing a relationship. Nicole's character could be portrayed has more trouble, which would make the movie more believable. I also doubt Carlos would give up his life so quickly to a girl he'd just met, that he knew had some problems. The movie could be so much better, but it was filmed beautifully and the actors did fine with what they were given. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but a lot of people would like it.

4/10

Fairly good teen drama.

[Blueghost · 29 June 2003]

I saw one promo for this film some time after I saw "Bring it On," and thought it was another Kirsten Dunst comedy.

I was wrong, but pleasantly dissapointed. The thing about teenage movies is that the really good ones don't placate exclusively to the age bracket of which the film is about. "Crazy/Beautiful" focuses on the teenagers, but shows the flavors of the leads' respective cultures, and how they are able to combine both their intellect and emotions to overcome some very superficial barriers, which create profound rifts among human society.

The overall theme vascillates by placing the ball into each of the leads court at various points in the film. This makes for some interesting interaction which, in the real world, I've personally observed. On this score the film is rather accurate.

The film gets a touch melodramatic at points, and there's no one actor to really single out as all the leads have their moment of high energy at various points in the film.

The film itself, because of the subject material, is somewhat lethargic, but does keep one's interest in its presentation.

A definate thumbs up for a night's rental.

Dunst is Beautuful but I am not crazy to recommend it

[meeza · 6/10 · 2 January 2002]

Crazy- those critics that called `Crazy/Beautiful' one of the best films of the year Beautiful- Kirsten Dunst's performance as a confused and drug-addicted teenager who falls for an intelligent latino played by Jay Hernandez Crazy- people that actually wasted eight dollars to watch this very formulaic movie at the theatre instead of waiting for it to come out on dvd or simply watching it from their illegal satellite box Beautiful- some of the very scenic cinematography Crazy- Kirsten Dunst's character Beautiful- Kirsten Dunst

It will not be too crazy for you to check out this film but do not think it will be all that beautiful. *** Average

Good, not great

[Steven Reynolds · 6/10 · 28 November 2001]

Like an irritating string of sing-along music videos for much of its first 45 minutes, this film recovers just enough in its second half to pass muster as a member of that rarest of Hollywood species: a well-intentioned teen film with something interesting to say. The girl-meets-boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks cliché is cannily inverted here, with poor little rich girl (Kirsten Dunst) threatening to ruin the life of her hardworking and motivated Latino beau (Jay Hernandez). Will she drag him down with her, or will her life be redeemed through his love? Once it poses that question, the story takes off and the subsequent plot shifts keep you guessing. There's a really great film to be made out of this kind of material, but 'Crazy/Beautiful' isn't it. It's still good, but what lets it down is its style. A slightly more gritty, documentary-like approach might have made it feel more real. Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) and Gary Oldman (Nil By Mouth) have both shown it's possible to make gritty films about realistic characters which still have something delicate, subtle and emotional at the core.

A girl has got to do... what a girl has got to do!

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 25 September 2002]

At first you may think this film is all fluff, guess again. Sure there is fun and frolic, but also agony, heartbreak and emotional rescue. Nicole(Kirsten Dunst)still mourns her mother's death; dislikes her step-mother and feels estranged from her father, Senator Tom Oakley(Bruce Davison). Nicole is rich, wild and reckless cavorting shamelessly with her best friend Maddy(Taryn Manning). Nicole falls in love with a straight laced Latino Carlos(Jay Hernandez)resulting in a clash of cultures and ethics. Dunst is flawless in this role. She is charming and very seductive. Of course I enjoyed the seduction scene in her bedroom; but I also liked the scene where Nicole and her father try to make amends. More than just a "chick flick". Give it a chance.

I really wanted to give this a higher rating than 7, but I can't

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 2 July 2001]

Straight A Latino Carlos (Jay Hernandez) falls for wild Nicole (Kristen Dunst). She's not good for him, but they're both in love.

Totally predictable but entertaining. The writing is good and the direction is OK. Unfortunately, the film plays it way too safe. Nicole's character isn't as destructive or wild as she could be and, while there is sex, there is no nudity. There were a lot of grumblings that director Stockwell was pushing for an R--he wanted explicit sex and to make Nicole wilder. Naturally, the studio pushed for a more marketable PG-13. That's a real shame, because Dunst and Hernandez are both VERY attractive (they do look good in their underwear) and extremely good actors. Heck, I'd have no problem seeing either one nude! But the studio backed down--stupid censors! So we're left with a very predictable outing, but entertaining with two great performances. My only complaint--it's very obvious that Dunst and Hernandez are way over high school age (he's 23, she's 20--I think). There is good strong support by Bruce Davison as Nicole's understanding father. So, it's good but it could have been so much better. When will the studios back off and let directors film what they want to?

Excellent!!! A cut above, WAY above, most other "teen" movies!

[bopdog · 10/10 · 5 March 2002]

"Crazy/beautiful" is a wonderful movie. It is really far better than most teen movies. When I saw the trailers and TV spots for the movie last year, I was unimpressed. The impression I got was that the movie was another one of those teen jobs wherein the director and the actors all take themselves WAY too seriously! Kind of like a Charlie Sheen movie, back when he was having all those ego problems. (Sheen is much recovered, and much over himself now. He's a charming fellow these days, and a great talent.)

I bought the DVD the other day, and am very happy that I did. I should have trusted that a talent such as Kirsten Dunst would not have placed herself in tripe. Sorry! This movie is thoughtfully written, sensitively acted, and very well directed and cut. I am not a teenager anymore (far away from it, in fact), so I am not impressed by hipness, hormonal chic, nor teen cool. Thus I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that "crazy/beautiful" is rich, touching, engaging, moving, uplifting, and extremely entertaining. Yaay!

Hey Buena Vista marketing people--- please note that the movie you seemed to have presented via your trailers and such last year looked like crap! And yet the real movie, the one Kirsten and Whatshisname made, is sweet and marvelous!!! I know you marketing folks meant well, and all marketing is some form of experiment, but perhaps you can learn from this that the audiences needn't be sold cliched garbage to go see a film. In fact, the apparent cliches presented in the trailers kept me away. Thank goodness for DVD!

Finally--- the DVD is also great. The "making of" segment is amazing, and worthy of it's own venue. The director's commentary with Dunst is also intriguing. It all adds to our enjoyment of the movie. Thanks, guys!

Above par for awful movies

[Stu-24 · 6/10 · 18 November 2001]

A genre done to death that adds enough new elements to make it watchable. Granted, I don't see to many teen love flicks these days, but I thought the bad-girl/good-boy switch was well done. This may be primarily becaue Kristen Dunst was far better than I expected.

Although, I must say, I am sick to death of the "rich white folk", "poor minority" dicotomy. Not all white folk are rich and live in mansions, for goodness sake.

Kirsten IS crazy and Jay IS beautiful...

[chaichai · 7/10 · 4 July 2001]

Although at times I was confused on what the movie was actually about, (father/daugther relationship?, race issue?, class issue?, beating the odds?, etc. etc.) it was a delight to see two of Hollywood's budding young actors NOT making a fool of themselves on the screen. Kirsten Dunst has really come a long way from INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and I can see that she is trying really hard to dump the whole BRING IT ON image. Jay Hernandez is another incredibly wonderful actor (and good-looking, may i add...) whom I see making more films in the future. Overall, I enjoyed watching this film and I would recommend it for those who are fans of either Dunst or Hernandez. However, for those who actually want to be impressed by the content and script of a film, turn elsewhere! Good performances, but what good is that without any good content? Who knows...don't listen to me! Just go see it! =)

Bland

[Antagonisten · 4/10 · 29 July 2006]

I caught this movie on TV a while back when there was absolutely nothing else to watch. Since i'm not a fan of neither teen-movies nor Kirsten Dunst expectations weren't high.

The problem with a movie like this one is not that it's awful, because it's not. I can name probably ten other teen movies that are more horrible than this one. Especially since here the emotional drivel didn't reach the sappy levels the story and theme allowed for, which was good. But still this is not a good movie. It's just too bland and uninteresting. I don't really know what in this movie we were supposed to care about. The distracted A-student from the hood is not a terribly interesting character (also a character that's been done about a thousand times in different shapes and colors). The spoiled rich girl with emotional problems is an equally worn-out cliché. It just doesn't have anything that creates interest or sympathy.

Sometimes i ask myself which is worse; the movie that is so bad that i hate it, or the movie that's so bland i don't care. A difficult question. One thing is certain anyway, this movie is one that i won't remember at all this time next year.

It touches the heart. It holds the interest with old material rendered fresh by the cast.

[WCS02 · 22 December 2001]

This is a defining role for Kirsten Dunst. She demonstrates the talent to carry a film, from beginning to end. She was great as Lux in the Virgin Suicides, and demonstrated a penchant for comedy in Dick. As Nicole - she dominates in a dramatic role, arcing from crazy - to 'Crazy'; from beautiful and then to 'Beautiful' with Jay Hernandez as boyfriend and catalyst. We'll be seeing a lot more of Jay in the years upcoming too. No doubt about it. And Taryn Manning (best friend, Maddy) has a lot more to share with her growing legion of fans. She's a major contributor to this film's success.

It touches the heart. It holds the interest with old material rendered fresh by a cast that jelled together. A superb romantic comedy for all ages. 7 / 10.

a little crazy, mostly beautiful...

[bigtallman · 7/10 · 2 July 2001]

Kirsten Dunst definitely got her chance to put down her pom-poms and cheerleading uniform to pick up a sleeveless Blondie shirt and a bottle of spiked Gatorade, neat huh?. She did a decent job of playing a troubled, rich (and beautiful of course) high schooler who's disillusioned by life and love (and her daddy of course). Being a hardcore Kirsten fan, I later realized I might not have liked the movie as much if she hadn't been the leading lady. If you liked Bring It On and Girl Interrupted, Crazy/Beautiful will leave you with a smile on your face. It's fun to think though, would people be as happy with this tired story if it wasn't retold by a bobbed blonde such as Ms. Dunst? (I could've dealt with Reese as well). Oh well, go see yourself.

A slam-dunk for Dunst

[Eye-on-the-pie-in-the-sky · 7/10 · 29 March 2005]

Appearing like a feature-length credit card commercial advertisement is John Stockwell's film dubiously entitled "Crazy/Beautiful". In it we have bedroom-eyed youth, awestruck-eyed youth and obtuse-eyed youth – sometimes all three at once. The big question on everyone's mind, though, is "Can we exist in this movie?"

Kirsten Dunst has never before looked so ravishingly frumpy here – the boozing and the slight substance abuse problem notwithstanding. Inexplicably does the designated cutie-boy (Jay Hernandez) become attracted to this waif-like suburbanite – he buses everyday for two hours (each way) to the same swanky school that only takes her a brief bender to get to. Intent on "making something of himself" (by desiring to enlist for the armed services?) does he do this due to his background being only slightly above the lower-class line of society – his brother being something of a failure in his mother's eyes (the brother heartily agrees!).

Of course, with the Mary Jane-inflected meet-cute do we know where this movie is headed. The Capulet and Montague setting is all to conspicuous but for some reason…I didn't care. Dunst carries this claptrap all on her shoulders without the least bit of strain – her acting (or is it reacting?) abilities are extraordinary. By the end, we care what the hell happens to these two crazy lovebirds. Genre films of this caliber usually are a repellent at first sight, but…there are always exceptions.

Kirsten Gone Wild

[TheFilmConnoisseur · 7/10 · 19 June 2003]

****Excellent

***Good

**Fair

*Poor

Kirsten goes from a cute hyperactive cheerleader to a horny overdosed blonde. The two sides of Kirsten I guess. I honestly don't know what to think about this film. The plot is interesting. We have a rich attractive girl who has a life of opportunity waste her life using drugs and having sex. Then we have a young hispanic who's poor and doesn't have as much opportunity but spends his time studying and having sex with Kirsten Dunst.

WOW! It sounds like an autobiography of that summer Kirsten and I spend together. Who would have known that it would make a good movie?



Okay now all jokes aside I think this is a pretty interesting teen film because it shows this girl who has it all but happiness and this poor latin boy is the only hope she has in life. This isn't a great film but it's pretty good. And the performances by Kirsten and Jay Hernandez are quite good as well.

RATING: 3 STARS

A Nice Surprise

[bjones · 8/10 · 1 July 2001]

I was really pleasantly surprised by this film. It wasn't the usual dumb teen movie. It address some real-world issues from a modern perspective and managed to not make itself look silly doing it. The script was tightly written with just enough edge to give it a sense of reality without it being totally destroyed by it's kiddie rating.

The usual teen movie makes fun of the adult world and laughably tries to make the teens somehow the center of the known universe. This is more real in it's approach, showing two very vulnerable young people on the verge of being thrust into that very real adult world and the issues they have in discovering themselves as near-adults through each other's eyes. There are quite a few relationships these days that mix cultures and this film handles a realistic look at some of the problems. I think it had to or risk the charge of being unrealistic. Still, there is more here, not just teen romance, though that is certainly painfully portrayed by an emotionally exposed Kirsten Dunst and the serious Jay Hernandez. It is also a film ultimately about the good and evil influences that tug at us all and the effects it can have on those around us. It managed to convey those issues fairly well given the censorship restraints it was under. Adding to a solid performance by Dunst and Hernandez is a fine cast, including Bruce Davidson and a deliciously unlikable Lucinda Jenney doing a great modern take on the evil stepmother. Taryn Manning as Dunst's best girlfriend nearly stole a couple of scenes and certainly bears watching in the future; there's light behind those big eyes. I see she also had a minor credit in the music score, which was very entertaining on it's own (and this said from an old guy). I also enjoyed the performance of Rolando Molina as Hernandez's brother, though it was nearly too stereotyped. He managed to make it just believable enough to be genuine. My major criticism would be the lack of subtitles for the considerable Spanish dialog. I for one found this too frustrating to forgive.

All-in-all, it's more than worth the price of admission and I can agree with some other viewers that Dunst might deserve at least a nomination come awards time next year.