NOT just another teen angst movie

Rating: 10/10 (19 January 2013)

If you had never seen a movie poster for this movie or read a review you would assume that a movie with Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, and Paul Rudd you would assume that these were the stars of said movie, and of course you would be completely wrong. The 3 young actors/actresses in this movie were exceptional. It was really nice to see Emma Watson in a role without a wizard involved. I have to be honest I had never heard of Ezra Miller nor Logan Lerman. They were both outstanding in this movie.
Now let me tell you why this movie is not a rehash of John Hughes movies of the 80's. Don't get me wrong I loved John Hughes movies and I have seen them all, The Breakfast Club being the pinnacle of those for me. First the screenplay for this movie was very well written and directed. They never seem to get in a hurry to get to the end, in fact, through several singular lines interspersed into various scenes you know that there is something that you aren't getting. By the last 30 minutes of the movie I was really wondering if we were going to learn all the secrets of these kids. Well you do but I will let you experience that for yourself.
My favorite line in the whole movie, and I think one that sort of sums up what this movie is really about was from Emma Watson when she tells Charlie "Welcome to the island of misfit toys (from Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer". This is a movie about kids that don't fit in, but it is so much more than that. One other thing that made this movie stand out for me was that they never went for the cheap pulling on the heart strings moments, certainly there are some but the movie doesn't linger on those, as with most things in life they happen, you deal with it, then you move on.
I would recommend this movie to almost anyone who has ever been a teenager, or ever felt like he/she didn't fit in. I will guarantee that if you don't see yourself in this movie you will see someone you knew. This movie is very much worth the 100 minutes of your time that it asks for.