Kids In America

Other Info:

In the great tradition of high-school films comes the 2005 comedy/drama Kids in America. It’s inspired by real-life events (you can see the real students interviewed after the end credits) as well as films like The Breakfast Club in which kids from different cliques come together to stand up to a repressive high-school principal.

Principal Weller (Julie Bowen, who plays Jack’s wife Sarah in Lost) of Booker High School is running for the position of Superintendent of her school district. As such, she wants her school to be perfect – but her idea of an ideal environment is very different from what her students have in mind. Cleaning up the corridors, she expels a girl for passing out condoms and advocating safe sex on National Safe Sex day, as well as suspending two boys who were kissing.

A diverse set of students (you may find the types familiar – cheerleaders, a goth, a popular girl, some nerds) band together to peacefully protest against Weller before her brand of repressive administration goes any further. Finding an ally in their English teacher Mr Drucker (Malik Yoba) who encourages his students to fight for their rights, Holden Donovan (Gregory Smith) and Charlotte Pratt (Stephanie Sherrin) start a series of pranks to expose their Principal’s unhealthy control to the rest of the students as well as those outside.

Weller expels Holden in an effort to put an end to the uprising. Unfortunately for her, her actions have the opposite effect, rallying more students and sparking a romance between Holden and Charlotte (consisting mainly of reenactments of movie kisses from Lady and the Tramp, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles and Say Anything – the pair now share the world record for the longest on-screen kiss, which lasts nearly six minutes during the end credits. The previous record holder was the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now at 3 minutes and 5 seconds). Together the students tackle issues on sex education, freedom of speech and the responsibilities involved in peaceful protest.

Stick around until after the credits when students tell their real-life stories of expulsion or suspension, explaining their ‘offences’ and the reactions of friends and family. Although these students didn’t attend the same school as the students in the film did, Kids in America is a great homage to those who were unfairly punished.

Written by Andrew Shaifer and Josh Stolberg, the latter of which also directed the film (as well as helping pen 2009 thriller, Sorority Row), the cast also includes Chris Morris, Caitlin Wachs, Emy Coligado, Crystal Celeste Grant, Alex Anfanger, Julie Bowen, Andrew Shaifer, Nicole Richie, Genevieve Cortese, George Wendt, Jeff Chase, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Rosenbaum and Elizabeth Perkins.

Watch out for Nicole Ritchie’s appearance as a cheerleader. Her droid-like performance comes in spite of the fact that the heiress is playing an airhead. It shouldn’t really have been too much a stretch …