My So Called Documentary: ‘American Teen’ Review

When a documentary crew asks its teen subjects to share their text messages and emails so they can be graphically recreated, can you reasonably expect that the high schoolers won’t begin to craft those messages for public consumption? If the director handpicks participants according to storylines and how snugly they fit into Breakfast Club like archetypes, intentionally leaves footage of drug use on the cutting room floor, and takes an active role in guiding their favorite participant towards their own filmmaking career, does the end product still resemble a documentary, or is it something else altogether?

American Teen opens this weekend. My June 4th review.

tedzee | Permalink | July 24 2008 | Comments (View)