SYNOPSICS
True Adolescents (2009) is a English movie. Craig Johnson has directed this movie. Mark Duplass,Bret Loehr,Carr Thompson,Melissa Leo are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2009. True Adolescents (2009) is considered one of the best Comedy,Drama movie in India and around the world.
Craig Johnson's poised and poignant first feature follows Sam (Mark Duplass), an, unbeknownst to him, washed-up rocker in the early stages of haggard. Jobless and apartment-less, he crashes with his aunt (a compassionate Melissa Leo) as a last resort and becomes reluctant camping-trip chaperone to her teenage son and a pal. That the three males are on par, maturity-wise, makes for engaging ensemble juvenilia. But in the stirring Pacific Northwest wilderness a surprising discovery turns dire -- and the distance from boy to man must be covered overnight. Duplass's ballsy and at times balls-out performance is a winner, particularly when Sam at long last takes stock of himself: it ain't pretty.
True Adolescents (2009) Trailers
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True Adolescents (2009) Reviews
An Interesting Coming-of-Age Film
True Adolescents had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. It is a solid effort at exploring the efforts of a man in his mid-30s who hasn't quite grown up to bond with his teenage nephew and his buddy during a weekend camping outing. The characters are well-developed and the acting is solid. Mark Duplass's Sam is a failed musician who needs to figure out what he is doing with his life. His immaturity is finally challenged as he is forced to become the responsible adult. The story is entertaining if not spectacular. The acting is fairly good and the characters and their relationships to each other are well-developed. The ending sequence seems a little hokey. Although, the film probably won't get widely distributed, it is nevertheless a worthwhile effort.
Into the Woods as Boys, Out of the Woods as Men
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-
A winning, sweet little American indie
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.
Good idea, terrible execution
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.
Unanswered questions about what it means to grow up...
This quiet film stealthily approaches some rather profound questions about growing up, finding an identity, maturing, and developing a sense of responsibility—and it just kind of leaves them there, unanswered. That's not to say the film is without merit. Mark Duplass is perfectly cast as Sam, the 30something "true adolescent" who finds himself without a job, a girlfriend, or a home. While crashing at his aunt's place, he gets recruited to chaperone his cousin and his cousin's best friend on a camping trip. A silly prank in the middle of the trip accidentally uncovers a delicate moment, which propels much of the subsequent action of the film even as its importance remains marginalized and only tangentially alluded to as the movie progresses toward an inconclusive resolution. "True Adolescents" is what I would call a "problem film"—but one I enjoyed nonetheless (even though I still can't decide whether I actually like Mark Duplass).