Reminiscent of 2002 Spellbound, "The Worlds Best Prom" is a fun and fascinating look at Midwest Prom culture. While Spellbound did an incredible job of showing us various kids from different cultures and backgrounds (from poor immigrants to rich kids with tutors), "The Worlds Best Prom" does one thing Spellbound never can: It makes me think about my own experience. While I never entered a spelling bee, I certainly do have memories of my own prom, sad and embarrassing as they may be. The documentary films students in Racine, Wisconsin, a working class town akin to Detroit or Houston: rich kids and ghetto kids all mixed in the same schools. The film focuses on three students in particular. Tonya is the shy, black girl from the ghetto neighborhood who wants to leave Racine and start a new life. Dory is the example of the white, rebellious Catholic school girl who rebels against her parents through drinking, sex, and drugs, and is simply the "popular" one. Ben is the unassuming high school quarterback who has a tough home life but still respects his mother and brother. The film does a solid job of giving us a history of the town and prom, which was started 50 years ago by the local Rotary club after some students died in a drunk driving accident.
The Racine prom is outrageous, insane, and still, at its core, a view into what can only be described as Midwest: all heart, a bit of style, and certainly a lot of fun.
