American History X: A List of Grievances

Rating: 1/10 (24 July 2003)

***SPOILERS HEREIN***
American History X is a film filled with clichés and melodrama. I am astounded that it is considered by IMDb users to be among the top 250 films ever made, let alone the top 100.
Edward Norton's performance was good, considering the material, and Edward Furlong is also a decent actor. However, the other performances here were third rate and totally over the top. Avery Brooks as Dr. Sweeney acted as though he were performing in a community theatre production of Shakespeare. Totally unbelievable.
Speaking of unbelievability, how about, for starters, the incredibly lame scene wherein the movie's title is used as a line of dialogue? So stilted and corny I almost turned the movie off right then and there. (After seeing the end, I wish I had, but hindsight is always 20/20...)
Let's move on then, to the absolutely asinine basketball game. What the hell was this, West Side Story? I expected at any moment that they were going to start singing and dancing, doing the splits in an effort to get each other off their turf. I mean, come ONNNNN. Then, when the white boys won, the black guys said, "Oh, gee whiz!" and turned around and left, never to return? PLEASE! I didn't buy it for a second, and I can't believe anyone else did.
On to my next grievance. Norton's co-worker in the prison laundry was sent to prison for six years because he dropped a television on a cop's foot and it was considered assault. He says he was caught because the store that he stole the TV from was right next to a donut shop filled with cops. This movie supposedly tries to teach the viewer a lesson about how wrong it is to stereotype, but the whole thing is full of nothing BUT stereotypes.
Most annoying in my opinion, however, was the score. The music constantly drowned out the dialogue (which, considering the writing, was probably a blessing). I abhor films that insult my intelligence by continuously attempting to manipulate my emotions with music. If you want me to be moved by your film, cut out the sappy music, and give me good directing, good performances, and a believable story. Don't try making me feel moved by music that's ten times louder than the dialogue because you can't make a decent film.
The ultimate insult in this film is the ending. Absolutely beyond ridiculous. Totally beyond moronic. The kid that Edward Furlong blew cigarette smoke at is now going to shoot him in the face in the school bathroom? Is he mentally retarded? Why not just shoot him in the middle of a police station, perhaps one full of white guys and black guys making angry faces at each other while fat cops sit around eating donuts? At least a stealthy drive-by shooting would have been more realistic, if blowing smoke in someone's face is really an offense worthy of death. Additionally, what was up with there being no paramedics in the bathroom when a child had just been shot? They are just going to leave him there with his head in the urinal??? PLEASE!!!!
Overall, this is an awful, awful, AWFUL movie. Predictable, trite, with the most offensively contrived ending I have seen in quite some time. I knew what was going to happen, and was appalled when it did. Not because it shocked me or made me think, but because I couldn't believe the filmmakers thought I was really stupid enough to buy it.
What a piece of trash. * out of *****. Norton's acting couldn't come close to saving this steaming pile.