My Horrible Year!

Okay, "made for TV" -- Showtime, actually -- rarely means "watchable," but Smallville star Allison Mack really shines as the clunky-but-aware kid with braces, strange friends and a first crush in this purported "slice o' life" comedy. Think "That '70s Show" crossed with "10 Things I Hate About You" and you've about got it. While there are no stand-out performances besides Mack's, most of the supporting characters are quirky enough to be memorable, including Caterina Scorsone as the Bret Harte-idolizing best friend. Credit Eric Stoltz for reasonably fast-paced direction and keeping the characters, if not necessarily the plot, interesting. This is definitely a "either you like it or you don't" movie. I like it.

Dear Reader ...this film, amidst the cesspool of teenage-hopeful movies, really sticks out, kinda shines even. It lacks a lot of the campiness that is usually token with this kinda film, and replaces it with some refreshing realism (occasional profanity, believable scenarios, etc). I mean "Sure".... the narrator Nik (oh MAN what a cutie) tells a rather relative, angst-riddled tale, and is complimented well by her supportin' cast, includin' Mimi Rogers as the "stacked Aunt Marion". Eric Stoltz did a bang-up job directing this, from start to finish, even if the ending did leave a bit to be desired (just, it was predictable, that's all!). All things told, for being made-for-TV, delivered. It gets this fella's Stamp O' Approval.

Free and easy film that is great for all ages. A cross between Wonder Years and Princess Diaries but lacks cynicism. Teenagers are real people as well as everyone else in this film. The film does not mistake realism for darkness, sleaze and rudeness. It ultimately respects the characters but is still light and creates a smile.

Allison Mack, Karen Allen, Caterina Scorsone

I just wanna say that films like this (films that revolve around younger teens talking about boys and realizing how much life can suck) don't appeal to me. But this one was.. different, somehow. First of all, it's NOT about a loser girl with no friends and is always miserable, and by the end of the film, turns into the prettiest most popular girl who everybody loves; like 'She's all that' sort of. Nik Faulkner (Allison Mack) is a chirpy 15 year old, going on 16. She has to take care of her twin brothers and likes a boy at school but discouraged about having to wear braces.

The characters wasn't all annoying and like alot of teen movies, there wasn't someone that always had to stir things up. Even the boy that Nik liked at school wasn't that bad, he wasn't a booster of his own ego, like they usually are in movies like this. I liked Nik's friends Mouse and Babyface, they were charming and comical. The one thing that would have been better is if they'd have just stayed friends at the end, instead of dating each other. but ah well. And of course it had to have Karen Allen in it, who played Nik's mum, or mom. It's a TV movie. All thats missing is Jane Seymour and a cheesy soundtrack and you've got yourself a pretty half-decent made-for-TV-movie.

A neat little story with great acting, music, and camera stuff all supported by a distinct style that spells terrific fun. It's obvious that the actors had a good time making this film, and I had a blast watching it. It brought to mind Pretty in Pink and those delightfully light footed old John Hughes movies that had a big heart (but not a sappy one) at it's centerpiece. This is a very well cast film too, the ads would have you believe that Mimi Rogers and Karen Allen are the leads, but it's really the girl who plays Nick's story, and she holds it together splendidly as a teenager trying to save her parents marriage. The kids don't bitch and moan, they don't hate their parents, they just want to have fun and they do, in spite of all that happens in the story. The supporting roles of Babyface and Mouse and the parents and the great crusty old teacher `Mr. Birdwell' are good too. Only drawbacks of the story involve the slightly tired out "Will my parents get divorced' side plot, but extra points for the main character being a role refreshingly void of any typical pitfalls related to teenage girls of most recent movies- these girls aren't sex kittens or rebelious ‘tough kids'- they are smart and fun and a delight to watch.

Beyond that, this film is also very funny. My brother and I laughed a lot, and each scene flows into the next with ease. I particularly liked that these kids read books and seemed to really care about each other, and look forward to renting it and watching it again.