10 Things I Hate About You directed by Gil Junger

Junger, Gil (Director). 10 Things I Hate About You.
Touchstone Pictures. 1999.
Screenplay: Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith.
Based on a play by William Shakespeare.
Run time: 97 min.
Rating: PG-13

Watcher’s Annotation
Outcast Kat isn’t interested in dating anyone at Padua High School, but her sister Bianca is determined to set her up with Patrick so she can finally begin dating.

Cast
Heath Ledger, Patrick Verona
Julia Stiles, Kat Stratford
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cameron James
Larisa Oleynick, Bianca Stratford
David Crumholtz, Michael
Larry Miller, Walter Stratford
Andrew Keegan, Joey Donner

Plot Summary
This modern version of William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, is set in Tacoma at the fictional Padua High School. Michael introduces new transfer student Cameron to the ins-and-outs of the campus. When Cameron spots sophomore Bianca Stratford, Michael warns Cameron to set his sites elsewhere because Bianca’s older sister will make his life hell. Katerina “Kat” Stratford is part of the loser crowd because is so hostile. Cameron, with help from Michael and Joey Donner, concocts a play to pay Patrick Verona, a guy with a possible shady past to date Kat, leaving Cameron and Joey free to vie for Bianca’s affections. Bianca slowly comes to like Patrick even though she doubts his sincerity. Kat is suspicious of Patrick’s interest in her, and when she uncovers the plan set forth by Cameron and Joey she leaves him at the prom. Patrick takes the money he earned for dating Kat and buys her a guitar. The pair makes up.

Critical Evaluation
This movie is very loosely based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Some of the names are a close match (like Padua High), and Stiles plays a shrewish kind of high school girl, but it is really a teen formula piece. The movie is teen-boy-meets-girl film, with little to recommend it beyond some very funny scenes. Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona steals the film with his rendition of “I love you Baby,” on the bleachers. When he looks at Stiles you really believe he is falling for her. Stiles as the smart-alecky Kat, shines when she gives her English professor hell during class. Together Stiles and Ledger have a definite chemistry that makes you wish they could have made another film together. Oleynick as Bianca, Kat’s boy crazy younger sister is charming, and her love interest Gordon-Leavitt is a classic good guy.  Miller as Dad Stratford is suitably clueless about his daughters, but he does have several a very good scene involving a pregnancy suit that he forces daughter Bianca to wear before she goes out.  Scenes of a drunken Kat dancing on a table, and flashing her breasts to spring Patrick out of detention could have been left out, but it seems that teen films require these scenes as part of their formula. I like this movie, and I seen it several times, but as soon as the singing scene is done I always shut it off.

Genre
Romantic comedy.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Crude sex-related humor and discussion, teen alcohol and drug use.

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0147800/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title
I like the film (within reason), and it is included on the ALA 2009 Best Films for Young Adults.

Juno directed by Jason Reitman

Reitman, Jason (Director). Juno.
Fox Searchlight. 2007.
Screenplay: Diablo Cody
Run time: 96 minutes.
Rating: PG-13.

Watcher’s Annotation 
Juno is 16 and pregnant with Paulie Bleeker's baby.  All she needs now is a nice family to adopt their child.
Cast
Ellen Page, Juno MacGuff
Michael Cera, Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner, Vanessa Loring
Jason Bateman, Mark Loring
Alison Janney, Brenda MacDuff
J.K. Simmons, Mac MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby, Leah


Plot Summary
In this comedy 16-year-old Juno MacGuff discovers she is pregnant with best friend, Paulie Bleeker’s baby, and she doesn’t know what to do. She decides to have a quick abortion, but is put off when a schoolmate is outside the abortion clinic. Talking with her friend Leah she then decides to put the baby up for adoption. After finding an ad in the Pennysaver, Juno then tells her father and stepmother about the baby. First shocked by Juno’s news, the parents try to support her decision. Juno is happy with her selection of the adoptive parents. Vanessa and Mark Long have a nice house, and good jobs, but Vanessa is a little standoffish. Mark, on the other hand, is happy to have a little buddy to talk to about music and slasher movies. As Juno’s pregnancy progresses she stops by Mark and Vanessa’s house occasionally to fill them in on baby news. Juno brings out Mark’s inner child. He makes a mild pass at Juno and tells her he is leaving his wife. Juno is furious, and Vanessa is heartbroken because she really wanted Juno’s baby. Juno makes a deal with Vanessa that excludes Mark, and when the baby is born Vanessa becomes the adoptive mother. In a parallel story, Paulie (a track star) feels slighted by Juno and decides to take another girl to the prom. Juno is jealous and begins to realize that she is in love with him. They become a couple just before the baby is born.

Critical Evaluation
Although it doesn’t sound like it from the plot summary the film is very funny and touching. Diablo Cody wrote a sweet treatise with another viewpoint about teen pregnancy. Sometimes things happen and it all works out for the best. This movie is not a big sobfest. Cody’s characters are superb, and the acting is natural and understated. Ellen Page as Juno is a wise cracking teen that admits that she’s just a kid. Her boyfriend, Michael Cera as Paulie just wants to do what’s best and still be Juno’s best friend. Mom (Alison Janney) and Dad MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) are probably the funniest characters of all. When they find out that Juno is pregnant there is no screaming and yelling, they just comment that it might have been easier if Juno had gotten a DWI. They are smart and funny parents, which is unheard of in a teen film. It’s true that Juno doesn’t talk like a normal teenager. Yet she is compelling. Underneath her snarky exterior is a really nice kid who is trying to do her best. The quirky soundtrack by Kimya Dawson is perfection. This film was nominated for many awards including Best Picture at the Oscar’s. Cody won the award for Best Screenplay in 2007.

Genre
Comedy, contemporary issue.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Teen pregnancy

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title
I like the film and it is included on the ALA 2009 Best Films for Young Adults.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist directed by Peter Sollette

Sollette, Peter (Director). Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.
Columbia Pictures. 2008.
Screenplay by: Lorene Scafaria
Novel by: Rachel Cohn
Run Time: 90 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Watchers Annotation
At their first meeting Norah asks Nick to play her boyfriend for five minutes. That five minutes leads to an evening together in the Lower Eastside of Manhattan searching for a band called Where’s Fluffy?

Cast
Michael Cera, Nick
Kat Dennings, Norah
Aaron Yoo, Thom
Rafi Grayon, Caroline
Alexis Sziena, Tris
Jay Baruchel, Tal

Plot Summary
It has been months since Tris broke up with Nick, and with one last message he tells her that he is leaving one last CD mix on her doorstep.
At school in New Jersey, Norah and her friend Caroline are finalizing plans for the weekend. Norah tells Caroline that she will go with her as long as she doesn’t get drunk. Tris (also a school mate of Norah) brags about her ex-boyfriend leaving CD’s on her doorstep and throws it into the trash. Norah, who has snatched all the CD’s Tris has thrown out loves the mixes and cover art created by the boy she doesn’t know. The girls are also on the hunt for the elusive band Where’s Fluffy?
At the gig Norah askes Nick and asks him to play her boyfriend for five minutes.  By this time Caroline is very drunk and Norah decides to take her home. This leaves Nick and Norah free to search for Where’s Fluffy? Along the way, Nick and Nora get a call that the boys have lost Caroline. After meeting up the group scours the city looking for the very drunk Caroline. Caroline in the meantime has found her way to the bus station, where she becomes violently ill. At one of their club stops, Norah’s ex-boyfriend tries to drag her away from Nick. Norah escapes and continues to search for the band and Caroline. They finally find Caroline at a gay cabaret show. Nick lets Norah drive his car. She crashes it into a fire hydrant while looking through his ipod.  They agree to go someplace that is more private and end up at Electric Lady Studios, which is owned by Norah’s father. While there the pair makes out on the sofa. Soon after Norah gets a text message from Caroline that they have found Where’s Fluffy? They rush to get to the gig. Once they arrive they are both confronted by their ex’s. As the band begins to play Nick holds out his hand to Norah and they leave together. By this time it is nearly dawn.

Critical Evaluation
This is a great premise for a movie. Unfortunately it plays like a scavenger hunt. Michael Cera (Nick), and Kat Denning (Norah) have a lot of chemistry on the screen. They are totally believable as two people that are attracted to one another. Their little spats seem funny and silly. However, I did not find the character of Caroline to be humorous. An incipient alcoholic, Caroline has one of the grossest scenes ever filmed. She paws through a toilet bowl filled with puke to find her cell phone and her lost gum. The gum later ends up in Norah’s mouth, and then Nick’s. The best characters in the film are Nick’s gay band mates. They are fast-talking, fun seekers, and I wish they had been in more of the film. The ex’s, Tal and Tris and shallow selfish children who do little for the story, except provoke ridicule.  Because of the title I expected a stellar soundtrack.  I was disappointed that the music was barely noticeable in the film. You can find more information about the film on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/.

Genre
Romantic comedy.

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Underage drinking, language and sexual situations

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title
The movie was advertised as a teen film based on the book of the same name, and I had heard good reviews.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen directed by Michael Bay

Bay, Michael (Director). Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Dream Works and Paramount Studios. 2009.
Screenplay by: Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman.
Run Time: 149 minutes
Rated: PG-13

Watchers Annotation
Sam Witwicky is off to college, but the Decepticons return places Sam and his family in danger. It isn’t long before Autobots and Decepticons are battling for control of the energy matrix that can either save Optimus Prime or destroy the sun.

Cast
Shia LaBoeuf, Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox, Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel, Major Lenox
Tyrese Gibson, USAF Master Sergeant Epps
John Turturro, Symore Simmons
For more information about the cast go to IMDb at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055369/

Plot Summary
Sam Witwicky is off to college leaving longtime girlfriend Mikaela, and his Transformer guardian Autobot Bumblebee behind. Before leaving home he discovers that a sliver of the energy cube (Energon) that nearly destroyed the Earth in the previous film has somehow lodged in his old jacket. When Sam touches the shard it transfers map coordinates into his brain. At first the information lies dormant, but he soon realizes that his reaction to the information is similar to what happened to his great grandfather. This causes Sam some trouble on campus when he disrupts an astronomy class spouting babble. Back home Mikaela, keeper of the shard, is accosted by a little Decepticon robot. Sam and Mikaela are soon together on campus, and joined by Sam’s roommate Leo, a conspiracy theorist. The Decepticons continue to wreak havoc on the planet in search of Sam and the missing shard. Many battles ensue. During one such battle between the Decepticon leader Megatron, and the Autobot leader Optimus Prime – Optimus is killed. As the last Prime of the Autobots, Optimus is the only robot that can defeat the Decepticons. Sam and his crew, joined by Agent Simmons and the USAF attempt to revive Optimus by using the dust from the energy matrix they located in the Egyptian desert. During the battle Sam dies only to be revived by several Autobot Primes he meets on another plane of existence. Sam revives Optimus who defeats Megatron in a final showdown.

Critical Evaluation
Although the cast is well chosen for the film, the real stars of the film are the Transformers. This film is all about the computer-generated special effects. The Transformer transform into some very nice cars, motorcycles, and airplanes. From the first battle scene it is impossible to tell which Transformers are Autobots (the good guys), and which are Decepticons (the bad guys). There is so much happening onscreen that the average watcher cannot differentiate between the characters. All the transformers look like they were created from mismatched pieces of machinery. The script is minimal, and the dialog is mostly dreadful. The screenwriters or director believed that by adding subtitles to explain the action would make the film easier to follow. This treatment also occurred using the living actors. There is also an offensive use of cultural lingo with some of the Autobots. There are two robots in particular that the writers chose to use rap dialog. These two robots are always insulting each other. It is unappealing and simply wrong to include this kind of racist profiling of cartoon characters. This is an action flick that makes little sense beyond lots of explosions with fighting robots. This film is also far too long at 149 minutes.

Information about the film
You can find more information about the film on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055369/

Genre
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Fantasy violence, sexual situations and innuendo, language.

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from IMDb at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055369/externalreviews
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this film
This title was a summer blockbuster hit that many young adults watched. It is the second film in a series. The first film is titled Transformers.

Twilight directed by Catherine Hardwicke

Hardwicke, Catherine (Director). Twilight.
Summit Entertainment. 2008.
Screenplay by: Melissa Rosenberg
Novel by: Stephanie Meyer
Run time: 122 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Watchers Annotation
Bella Swan, newly arrived in Forks, meets the handsome and mysterious Edward Cullen. Edward is a vampire, and he is driven to protect Bella from a trio of roving vampires.

Cast
Kristen Steward, Bella Swan
Sarah Clark, Renee
Billy Burke, Charlie Swan
Robert Pattinson, Edward Cullen
For a full cast list go to IMDb at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/

Plot Summary
Bella Swan has low expectations when she arrives in Forks, Washington. Introverted, Bella is surprised when so many boys are interested in her. It is Edward Cullen who attracts Bella’s attention. Beautiful and mysterious, Edward attempts to push Bella away, but he too is attracted. Bella known for her clumsiness is constantly at risk for injury. When she is nearly crushed by a truck it is Edward who saves her. Bella insists on discovering how Edward was able to reach her in time, but Edward refuses to tell her the truth. Bella and her school friends make a trip to the beach at the Indian reservation for a surfing excursion, it is Jacob Black a young Quileute Indian that tells her the myths of the cold ones. As she researches to local lore, Bella realizes the truth about the boy she loves – he, and his family are vampires. She approaches Edward with her new knowledge and he does everything he can to frighten her off. Bella is not deterred. Edward admits that his family is different from other vampire, they drink only animal blood, and he can read all minds, but not Bella’s. Their growing attraction escalates and they begin to date. During a vampire baseball game with the Cullen’s three rogue vampires appear. One of the vampires, James, smells Bella’s scent and attempts to attack. The Cullen’s whisk Bella away before James can harm her. James, a hunter, will not give up his hunt for Bella. He lures her away from Edward and proceeds to torture her while videotaping. His bite passes vampire venom into Bella. Edward and his family rescue Bella but she has been poisoned. Edward’s foster father, Carlisle saves Bella from becoming a vampire. Still healing from the attack by James, Bella now returned to Forks is going on a date with Edward to the prom. Jacob Black appears and warns Bella about Edward, but it is too late. Bella and Edward are in love and committed to each other, even though Edward refuses to make Bella immortal.

Critical Evaluation
The novel, by Stephanie Meyers is deeply romantic in an old fashioned way. It is similar in style to those written by the Bronte sisters, like Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. The film, because of its reduced time does not achieve the same level of intensity as the novel. Kristen Stewart, as Bella tells her friend Angela that she is a strong and independent woman, that she should ask her love interest to take her to the prom. All those traits Bella seems to have in the beginning of the movie disintegrate when she meets Edward. She wants only to be with him, nothing more. When Edward warns her that he is a monster, Bella ignores the warning. Kristin Stewart as Bella walks through her lines. She is distant and emotionless. When Bella proclaims that she is irrevocably in love with Edward, she shows no visible signs of interest. There is no giddy smile, no joy in Stewart. Robert Pattinson is more believable as Edward. His determination to avoid Bella despite his attraction to his own “personal brand of heroin” is heartfelt. The two make a pretty pair as a couple, but there is no chemistry between the actors. The special effects for this film are lacking, especially those featuring Edward running. The director should have made more effort to include better special effects since the novel is held in such high regard by young women.

Information about the film
You can find out more about the film at IMDb, the Internet Movie Database at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/fullcredits - cast

Genre
Drama, fantasy, horror, thriller

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
Sensual moments, violence

Challenge defense ideas
· Become familiar with the film and its content.
· Refer to the collection development policy of the library.
· Refer to reviews from Common Sense Media at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/search/twilight, or IMDb at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/externalreviews.
· Try to get reviews of the film from teens that have seen it.

Why I included this title 
The book and film are currently very popular with young women.

New Moon directed by Chris Weitz

Weitz, Chris (Director). New Moon.
Summit Entertainment. 2009.
Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg
Novel by Stephanie Meyer
Run time: 130 minutes
Rating: PG-13

Film Annotation
In the second installment of the Twilight saga film adaptations, Bella celebrates her 18th birthday with Edward and his family. When the Edward and Cullen’s leave Forks soon after, Bella is bereft. Only her friendship with Jacob Black seems to restore her happiness.

Cast
Kristin Stewart, Bella Swan
Robert Pattinson, Edward Cullen
Taylor Lautner,  Jacob Black
Billy Burke,  Charlie Swan
For full credits go to IMDb at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/fullcredits#cast
 
Plot Summary
In this movie, based on the novel by Stephanie Meyers, Bella is left desperately depressed in the wake of the departure of the Cullen’s from Forks, Washington. For several months Bella stares out the window, ignoring the world around her. Desperate, her father recommends that she return to her mother rather than remain where the memories of her lost love haunt her. Bella does not want to leave, so she forces herself to reestablish contact with her friends. She discovers accidentally that she will have visions of Edward when she is in danger. From this moment she pursues dangerous situations so she might see him. She brings to motorcycles to her friend Jacob Black. Together they rebuild the bikes. While Bella has been sulking, Jacob has been growing – muscles mostly. He is now a buff teenager who still harbors a crush on Bella.  However, Jacob begins to withdraw from Bella too. He has his own supernatural issues to deal with. One afternoon Bella climbs to the meadow she and Edward had once visited. Unfortunately she meets the vampire Laurent. Just as he is about the dispatch her, five very large wolves come out of the woods and attack Laurent. Jacob comes to Bella and begs her to remember a story he once told her. That night she dreams about werewolves. With her new knowledge she pursues Jacob and discovers that the five wolves she saw, were all members of the Quileute tribe, and Jacob is one of them. Putting herself in harms way becomes Bella’s pastime. After she cliff dives and nearly drowns, Alice Cullen arrives. Convinced that Bella has perished, Edward decides to provoke the Volturi into ending his existence. Bella and Alice arrive in time to save Edward, but not without consequences. Bella is to become a vampire because she knows too much. When they return home safely, Edward and Jacob face off in a battle for Bella but she stops them both. Edward tells Bella that he will only transform her if she agrees to marry him.

Critical Evaluation
Like most movies based on books, New Moon has both good and bad moments. The storyline follows the basic plotline of the book, but leaves out most of the detail. Jacob Black, was supposed to have grown very large with the beginning of his transformation. The actor, Taylor Lautner became muscular yet not as big as described in the book. The original casting of Kristin Stewart as Bella, and Robert Pattinson as Edward remains a mystery. There are moments of dreadful acting between the two. During the scene where Edward tells Bella he is leaving, Stewart can only manage to bat her eyes and barely move her lips while talking. Pattinson seems to mumble most of his lines in the movie, and there is little chemistry between the actors. The chemistry between Lautner and Stewart is subtler, and for a few moments it seems that ice queen Stewart may succumb to Lautner’s charm and washboard abs. The best moments of the film are all centered on the werewolves. The computer generated images (CGI) special effects are absolutely phenomenal. The transformation from young men to wolves is instantaneous and seamless. It is utterly believable. The newest villains in this film, the Volturi, are suitably creepy. We can only hope that the acting for the next two movies improves, and comes up to the standards created by the CGI technology.

Information about the film
You can find out more about the film at IMDb, the Internet Movie Database at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/fullcredits - cast

Genre
Drama, fantasy, horror, thriller

Curriculum ties
None

Challenge Issues
None. This film is not currently in DVD release.

Challenge defense ideas
There are no apparent challenge issues associated with this film. In the case that a challenge comes up, there are some things that you can do to start. You could watch the film and become familiar with the content. Refer to the library collection development policy, and get reviews from reputable sources and teens that have seen the film.

Why I included this title
The books and earlier film are very popular with young adults.