My Horrible Year!

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.

I must say it was such a relief to see a movie about teenagers where the

actors are REALLY TEENAGERS! Allison Mack stars as 'Nik Faulkner',

you'll recognize her from 'Smallville', and she was only 18 when she

made this film, and it shows- in a good way. She looks 15 and even has a

little layer of baby fat that she's since shed for Smallville, but she's

ADORABLE. Even though it's a completely different genre, I liked this as

much as 'Smallville'; the side-characters of Babyface and Mouse are

realistic and funny and even kind of moving. The adults are good too but

they didn't really have much to do, as it's told from the kids point of

view. What's nice is that it's a film about loners and the gulf between

children and their parents, but there's no bitter irony or bad attitudes

present. These kids are deep and trying to become better people which is

something not seen in too many films for and about kids.

I loved it!

In Ohio, a few days before her sixteenth birthday, Nick Faulkner (Allison Mack) listens partially a conversation between her parents, and misunderstands believing they are going to divorce. With the support of her best friends Babyface Hamilton (Caterina Scorsone) and Mouse Donovan (Dan Petronijevic), Nick tries to fix the marriage of her parents.

"My Horrible Year" was a wonderful surprise for me! The lovely Allison Mack is simply fantastic in this delightful family entertainment. The story is delicious, with the distressed middle-class life of a typical adolescent turning upside-down with the expectation of the supposed divorce of her beloved parents. The direction of Eric Stoltz is surprisingly sensitive, capturing in a delicious way the anxieties of Nick. Also amazing how the fifty years old Karen Allen is still very beautiful. I believe it is impossible not loving this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil) "O Pior Ano de Minha Vida" ("The Worst Year of My Life")

This one caught me by surprise this morning on a cable channel, and I watched it to the end with a big smile on my face. It's a lovely little light footed teen story, but not like I've come to expect in recent years, in that the girls are really smart and don't look like bimbos, and the guys seem to really care about them. The parents aren't dolts, either. The whole thing was refreshing. A great cast, most of whom I've never seen before, with the exception of Mimi Rogers and Karen Allen. The photography is superb, and even the music is fun. Offbeat, I'd say, not your typical fare, which I kind of like. I recommend it highly, it was really good.

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.