Kids in America

good movie. text below should not be considered for the film rating.

the movie one sided in the fact that it definitely inspires thought and creativity...however it doesn't actually solve problems we face today. sure it incites change (aka protest) which is something to be heard. however, we all do things for a reason, not just personal gain. i think what our schools/governments actually do may be for personal gain at certain times (9/10 people probably do things for personal gain), but everyone should consider they may actually be trying to keep us safe. how about a movie that actually solves the problem today with security/safety vs. rights?

KOA is worth a look by adults and mature teens, and it has a PG-13 rating for a reason. A rebellious young student gets expelled by his high school principal, and with his equally rebellious crew of misfit friends (which includes a drop-dead gorgeous cheerleader!) decides to seek revenge. The only problem is the pranks they pull grow increasingly dangerous, until ... well, you will have to see it yourself. I would say show KOA to high school juniors and seniors, at the very least. It is an independent film, based on several real high school stories, with a cast of unknowns who do a decent, if not spectacular, job. We get to see the real students and hear abbreviated versions of their stories during the end credits. The outtakes are worth a look as well, but they incredibly raunchy, so beware if you have a young one in the house.

I just saw the film, and thought I'd post my review. I'm a little surprised by some of the comments, both the over-the-top enthusiastic reviews and the reviews blasting the film. I didn't think the film was hilarious or terrible. I thought the film was okay. I'd give it 2 1/2 stars out of 4, a marginal recommendation (6 out 10 on the IMDb scale). This is a story about a group of teenagers, lead by Holden (Gregory Smith), that lead a small rebellion against their vicious Principal (Julie Bowen), who has a penchant for suspending students and is running for Superintendent of Schools. I thought the story was pretty good and the acting was good. I did like the "movie love scenes" montage, but didn't think it had much of a point. One thing I didn't like were the student films and 2 talent shows, which looked like they were conceived and assembled by 3rd graders, not high schools kids, (or film writers). If these had been sharp and funny, they would've been entertaining, and would've fit the rest of the film. I'm not going to bother with any political angles, because films don't alter my political views. This is a simple story that could've been sharper, but is a nice, mild diversion.

This movie is one of the most amazing I have seen in a long time. As a teenager myself I found this film to be very inspiring. The hot young cast depicts the public school journey through life perfectly and provides for hours of entertainment. Although somewhat predictable, the plot advances nicely and obtains a wonderful balance between realism, exaggeration, and plain old fun. The story is based on true events that happened to various teenagers in the US. When their principal starts over-reacting towards everything and giving explosions to things that could be solved with Saturday detentions, the kids decide to crack down. Without violence they "stick it to the man" and truly come together as a united front. I recommend this film to anyone who: has ever been a political activist, wants to relive their teenage years, is trying to find a new perspective, and/or just wants to watch a really great movie.

Kids in America (2005) is the directorial debut of my close personal friend who I have never met Josh Stolberg, who has gone on to write some notable and this movie was pretty mediocre.

Positives for Kids in America (2005): The premise of this story is interesting enough to make a movie about it. I liked seeing these kids fight against their superintendent for their freedom to do anything that involves sex. The cast does a good enough job with their acting. The movie has good pacing that keeps the story interesting for the audience. And finally, I liked the montage at the end of the movie where you see a couple of kids talking about their experiences with sex in high school.

Negatives for Kids in America (2005): This movie suffers from Josh Stolberg being a first time director where you can tell that he hasn't quite found his footing yet. The movie's premise is one that I have seen done better in other movies. Julie Bowen's character was very annoying as she gets mad at students over dumb stuff like a girl wearing a dress made of condoms to promote safe sex to other students. And finally, the closing montage is way too long for its own good.

Overall, Kids in America (2005) is a mediocre teen sex comedy movie that does the bare minimum with its basic premise, but I would recommend it to people so that they can form their own opinions.