It's 1985. Rad Miracle (Marcello Conte) is an awkward teen loner. He loves ping pong and hip hop. His sister Michelle (Helena Seabrook) is a bitter sarcastic teen. His parents state trooper Brendan (John Hannah) and Crandall (Lea Thompson) are cheapskates. They got a deal on their Ocean City annual summer vacation. He's infatuated with Stacy Summers. Rich kids Lyle Ace and Dale Lyons are picking on him. His new friend Teddy Fryy tells him that his next door neighbor Randi Jammer (Susan Sarandon) is a weirdo but she turns out to be a great mentor.
I really want to root for these kids. I kinda like them in their shy dorky ways. Their story is sweet and a little cliché. I like the popular girl who has a problem. The main drawback are the teen actors. I don't want to say bad things about them but they're mostly amateurs. It shows. Their dialog, their interactions and their general acting abilities are all a bit deficient. Writer/director Michael Tully needs to give Rad another dimension. He needs an awkward sense of humor or something more than just being shy. The adults are fine and I love Hannah and Thompson. Sarandon has some nice moments. Amy Sedaris has a nice fun short section. The kids need a bit more charisma.
