Dir. Brian Robbins, 2004, USA, 103 mins
Cast: Chris Evans, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Erika Christensen, Darius Miles, Leonardo Nam
Scarlett Johansson's underpants must be in vogue. Previously they graced the opening titles of Sophia Coppola's Lost in Translation. Here they appear in a cheeky nod to The Breakfast Club (think Judd Nelson under Molly Ringwald's desk). Not just a pastiche of an 80s classic, the heist film genre is also behind this comic and energetic tale of high school students attempting to steal an exam paper.
But it's not just any exam paper. It's the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) which is the culmination of the American High School system, and which has become a million-dollar industry. House-hunters in some parts of the US have even been known to enquire about the SAT scores of local children. With such reliance on the results, the 'Suck Ass Test' (as it's referred to in this film) is a ruthless pigeonholer of an exam.
So you can understand Kyle's (Evans) desperation. He's wanted to be an architect since he was seven but, despite a reasonable grade-average, poor results on his mock SAT means that he won't get into the college of his choice. With his future hanging in the balance, he decides to steal the exam paper.
The team he enlists to help him are eclectic so say the least. There's Kyle's friend Matty (Greenberg), who wants to go to the same college as his girlfriend, and Anna (Christensen) - 'the brain'. She has the highest grade point average in the class but suffers from exam nerves and parental pressure. Anna brings in tow talented black basketball player Desmond (real life pro Darius Miles), whose grades are woefully under par.
Scarlett Johansonn is the spoilt rich kid whose father happens to own the building that houses the SAT. Tough-acting but vulnerable, Francesca uses the heist as a way of getting back at the father that ignores her. Finally - to round off the racial and social balance - there's streetwise but doped-up Asian computer whiz kid Roy (Nam), who even looks like he just stepped out of a Gorillaz video. In case you don't get it, the SATs disadvantage females, black students, other minorities and basically anyone who isn't from the average/ideal upper middle class white family.
Needless to say, the plan to break into the building goes awry early on. What we're left with is a watchable exploration of teamwork despite social/cultural differences. There's also a collective coming of age as each student comes to know themselves and what their destiny could be. Clichés aside, this is an agreeable romp through the psyche of Generation MTV, and anyone who either enjoys teen movies or is under 18 will probably think this is the best thing since Janet Jackson's right breast. There is also a certain amount of subversiveness which, with its swipe at conformist America, is an enjoyable aspect of the film. It's not the peasants' revolt by any means, but this is as activist as MTV gets.
FeFe Dobson's soundtrack enforces the strong, vivid look of the film (as to be expected from the link with MTV films), but doesn't match the success of the costuming. Designer Melissa Toth dressed the kids as a means of defining the characters. Hence the strong visual signification of Francesca and Anna as complete opposites, whore and virgin, if you like. The two strongest looks of the film - the manga-like Francesca and skater boy Roy - are also two of the most visual, and interesting.
The director/producer duo of Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin is one that has had much experience with young casts, including Big Fat Liar, Summer Catch and Goodburger. That knowledge of what works and what's funny is put to good use here, with the odd laugh-out-loud moment to match the many wry-smile-raisers. It's also good to see what else Johansson and Christensen (Traffic) can do when they're playing at having fun, but it'll be just as interesting to see where they're drawn after this.
Ruth Bushi
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