Much better than expected

Rating: 7/10 (30 September 2004)

I expected some clichéd teen movie garbage, but this movie was a pleasant surprise. I was impressed almost immediately by the high school scene at the beginning; it seemed much more realistic than most attempts at portraying a typical American high school. The actors actually looked like they could be in high school. The acting in the movie was good, and the dialogue was, for the most part, original and believable. Timothy Olyphant was great as always, and Emile Hirsch did a fine job in his first major role. The movie dealt with serious issues with equal flair as it did not-so serious ones, which is often very tough to do. The best part of the movie, however, was Elisha Cuthbert. She played her character extremely well (a big departure from 24) and looked amazing in every scene. I can't remember the last time I saw an actress as beautiful as she is. Definitely see this movie.