I'll tell you why so serious

Fantastic!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Okay, I'm 15 and I picked this to watch with my parents cause I thought it looked funny and I figured I'd be able to relate to the teenagers in it. I was SO wrong. The comic traits that are supposed to be laughable are just embarrassing. The characters are extremely underdeveloped and the script was obviously written by someone who's never spoken to a teenager before, because the 4 teenage characters acted like kids between the ages of 6 and 10. Even if the characters had been even relatively accurately portrayed, the acting in this movie is genuinely terrible. Not worth the time to watch.

I liked Mark Duplass quite a lot in "Humpday," and there are several moments in "True Adolescents" when you get a glimpse of what a good actor he has it in him to be. But what also struck me about his performance in this coming-of-age story was how unlikable he can be when paired with the wrong material.He plays an immature musician, drifting through life and pissing off just about anyone who might be willing to tolerate him, until, bottomed out and crashing in his aunt's house, he agrees to take her son and his best friend on a camping expedition when the kid's father bails on him (for what, we are to understand, is the umpteenth time). While on that trip, something happens between the two teenagers that jeopardizes, and perhaps with dangerous results, their trip and forces Duplass into the role of adult, a role for which he is not overly suited.We're supposed to think Duplass is a loser, and I suppose we're even supposed to get impatient with him, but I also think we're meant to find him funny and charming, and I just didn't. Some people have a knack for being snide and sarcastic while still being winning, and some don't. Guess which camp Duplass falls in for me? My viewing experience of "True Adolescents" wasn't at all helped by the fact that the Netflix streaming version I saw screwed up somewhere toward the end so that the picture and the soundtrack were operating entirely independently of one another, so maybe it's not fair of me to judge the film too harshly.The cast includes Melissa Leo as Duplass's aunt, and makes me start to wonder if Leo, an actress I usually like very much, has decided that her best career move is to appear in absolutely any movie someone offers to her.Grade: B-

First of all, this movie is an example how not to make a film. It absolutely lacks any story at all. You get a story like those you were writing in high school, not knowing how to end it and having no message to give. You keep watching and thinking what it's all about and what the point of this film is. Every time there's a glimpse of a meaning, it disappears right away.So you meet a middle-aged rock man Sam who pathetically forces himself to play cool and maybe he's supposed to be funny, but damn, he's not. His GF kicks him out of the house so he stays with his aunt. The aunt wants him to get a job but he's too cool for that, then he seems to feel guilty and he takes her son and his best friend to a camping trip to the middle of nowhere. Here's probably the only good point of this film - nice views.Generally when there's a trip involved in a film you suppose it should change something for the characters of the film, well, this one doesn't. There is no logic in the construction of the film, there are random scenes that have no continuation later on. You hope the guy will teach the kids something about the music, nope, they just stop at a motel and this bit ends. You hope the kids will learn something about their sexuality, nope, the bit ends with "Sorry I called you a fag". There is no message, nothing to hang on, the film ends up like there was no idea or money to finish it.I'm writing this because I'm angry I wasted my time on this. When I was a teenager and I was writing stories that had no point, I just burnt them or threw away after reading them. I wish the person who had made this film had done the same to the script. Really, try to watch some real good indie films first because in my opinion the makers of this one are like the main guy in this movie - forcing themselves to be cool while they are just pathetic. At least take some lessons from Xavier Dolan or Jonathan Caouette for example, if you want to limit yourself to North American film makers.

On Saturday, March 14, I attended the World Premiere of "True Adolescents" at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.As a journalist concentrating on independent films, my Holy Grail is what I like to call the "sweet little American indie." This is writer/director Craig Johnson's first feature and he's hit the mark.Sam (Mark Duplass) is a 30-something rocker who never quite grew out of his teenage years. He's unkempt, unfocused, and unsure of who he is or wants to be. In other words, he has a lot in common with his 14-year-old cousin Oliver (Bret Loehr) and friend Jake (Carr Thompson). When changing circumstances in Oliver's home life force the unlikely trio to head off on an unplanned camping trip together, they are forced to grow in ways they never imagined. "True Adolescents" is filled with twists and turns and "whoa" moments -- the kinds which are made more powerful by knowing as little about the film going in as possible.There is so much to love about this film. It has the look and feel of a true indie, using ambient sound and natural light when possible. Much of the film takes place outdoors and at night -- a challenging situation for photography -- and cinematographer Kat Westergaard makes the most of what nature offers her. Hand-held camera is used quite a bit, especially during scenes where the boys/men are traipsing through the wilderness of the gorgeous Washington State coastline. One can almost feel the chill as the sun goes down. Water always looks good on camera, and there is no denying a "Mean Creek" feel to the film.Duplass is quickly becoming one of our brightest young stars in the indie universe. As his aunt Sharon (Oliver's mom), Melissa Leo is as radiant and lovingly protective of her children as she was in her award-winning performance in "Frozen River." But, most of all, this is a coming-of-age film and (besides Sam himself) the experience of becoming an adult centers primarily on the two young actors Bret Loehr and Carr Thompson. Relative newcomers to the business, the boys were actually the ages of the characters they were portraying (14-15). How refreshing not to see a 20-something caked with stage makeup to look 16. The boys took risks, both emotional and physical, which would challenge actors twice their age.As a character-driven film, "True Adolescents"shines because of their natural talents, but the real impact of the film lies in Johnson's powerful script and its ability to resonate with viewers. This brilliantly crafted story is filled with images that will stay with you long after leaving the theater.