American Teen (2008)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Nanette Burstein

Writer:

Nanette Burstein (writer)

Release Date:

11 October 2008 (Japan)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

Remember high school? It's gotten worse.

Plot:

A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques. |

Plot Keywords:

High School | Indiana | Animated Sequence | Graduation | Warsaw Indiana

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Hannah Bailey	...	Herself
Colin Clemens	...	Himself
Geoff Haase	...	Himself
Megan Krizmanich	...	Herself
Jennifer Lucht	...	Herself
Mitch Reinholt	...	Himself
Jennifer Sheopherd	...	Herself
Jake Tusing	...	Himself
Ali Wikalinska	...	Herself

Directed by
Nanette Burstein

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nanette Burstein		writer

Produced by
Sharon Barnes	....	associate producer
Nanette Burstein	....	producer
Nancy Dubuc	....	executive producer
Eli Gonda	....	producer
Ryan Harrington	....	co-producer
Christopher Huddleston	....	producer (as Chris Huddleston)
Owen Katz	....	producer: animation (segment "Fight") (segment "Jocks - BBall") (segment "Love") (segment "Nerd") (segment "Notre Dame")
Karen Lawler	....	producer: animation (segment "Nerd") (segment "Notre Dame")
Anna Molund	....	producer: animation, againstallodds (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")
Patrick R. Morris	....	executive producer (as Patrick Morris)
Elisa Pugliese	....	executive producer
Jordan Roberts	....	producer
Steve Rosenbaum	....	co-producer
Adina Sales	....	executive producer: animation (segment "Fight") (segment "Hannah's Depression") (segment "Jocks - BBall") (segment "Kiss") (segment "Love") (segment "Nerd") (segment "Notre Dame")
Adina Sales	....	executive producer: animation, Blacklist
Rob Sharenow	....	executive producer
Molly Thompson	....	executive producer
Josh Thorne	....	executive producer: againstallodds (segment "Love")
Josh Thorne	....	executive producer: animation, againstallodds (segment "Fight")
Rebecca Cammisa	....	field producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Michael Penn

Cinematography by
Robert Hanna
Wolfgang Held
Laela Kilbourn

Film Editing by
Nanette Burstein
Thomas Haneke		(as Tom Haneke)
Mary Manhardt

Casting by
Tamra Barcinas

Production Management
Greg Orselli	....	production supervisor

Art Department
Junko Shimizu	....	sets/props: animation (segment "Hannah's Depression")
Mäns Swanberg	....	art director: animation (segment "Kiss")
Paige Travis	....	sets/props: animation (segment "Hannah's Depression")

Sound Department
Mark Binder	....	sound editor
Mark Binder	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mike Chock	....	sound designer (as Michael Chock)
Mike Chock	....	supervising sound editor (as Michael Chock)
Ken Dabek	....	additional sound mixer
Stefan Fraticelli	....	foley artist
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound editor (as Mark Mangini)
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Mark Mangini)
Dave Plowman	....	foley assistant
Matthew Reale	....	sound mix technician
Anna Rieke	....	sound mixer
John Sievert	....	foley artist
Byron Smith	....	additional sound mixer
Randy Wilson	....	foley mixer
Rebecca Cammisa	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Mark Coffey	....	first assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Micha Boström	....	CG artist (segment "Love")
Micha Boström	....	cg artist (segment "Fight")
Cecilia Chien	....	additional flame artist (segment "Nerd")
Wyeth Hansen	....	additional motion graphics artist (as Wyeth Hanson)
Matthew W. Johnson	....	smoke artist: Post Logic Studios
David Kelley	....	motion graphics artist
Stefan Lagerstam	....	lighting and rendering (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")
Kristian Rydberg	....	CG artist (segment "Love")
Kristian Rydberg	....	cg artist (segment "Fight")
Adam Sackett	....	motion graphics assistant
Lutz Vogel	....	3D animator (segment "Nerd")
Lutz Vogel	....	flame artist (segment "Nerd")
Roger P. Wasson	....	motion graphics assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Tamas Bojtor	....	additional photography
Axel Bowman	....	additional photography
Rebecca Cammisa	....	additional photography
Sam Henriques	....	additional photography (as Samson Hanriques)
David Lobser	....	cinematographer: animation (segment "Hannah's Derpression")
Ed Marritz	....	additional photography (as Edward Morritz)
Vasco Nunes	....	additional photography
James Rexroad	....	still photographer
Eliot Rockett	....	additional photography (as Elliot Rockett)
Brett Wiley	....	additional photography

Animation Department
Ariadne Binderl	....	paints and textures (segment "Jocks - BBall")
Aaron Bjork	....	animator (segment "Notre Dame")
Cecilia Carlstedt	....	illustrator: animation (segment "Kiss")
Matthew Encinas	....	animator (segment "Notre Dame")
Paul Hwang	....	creative lead (segment "Notre Dame")
Diogo Kalil	....	animator (segment "Jocks - BBall)
Diogo Kalil	....	creative lead (segment "Jocks - BBall)
George Katz	....	animator (segment "Notre Dame")
Ben Lee	....	creative lead (segment "Notre Dame")
Alex Lins	....	character designer (segment "Jocks - BBall")
Alex Lins	....	modeler (segment "Jocks - BBall")
Shu-Chen Lin	....	modeler (segment "Hannah's Depression")
David Lobser	....	animator (segment "Hannah's Depression")
David Lobser	....	creative lead (segment "Hannah's Depression")
Aron Ögren	....	animator (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")
Derek Picken	....	creative lead (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")
Alli Sadegiani	....	animator (segment "Fight"_) (segment "Love")
Cecilia Skedinger	....	animator (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")
Sean Starkweather	....	animator (segment "Notre Dame")
Mäns Swanberg	....	creative lead (segment "Kiss")
Lutz Vogel	....	2D animator (segment "Nerd")
Lutz Vogel	....	animation designer (segment "Nerd")
Lutz Vogel	....	creative lead (segment "Nerd")
Zoe Wishart	....	2D animator (segment "Nerd")
Zoe Wishart	....	animation designer (segment "Nerd")
Zoe Wishart	....	creative lead (segment "Nerd")
Steve Woodruff	....	animator (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")

Editorial Department
Kris Santa Cruz	....	colorist: high definition
Doug Delaney	....	digital intermediate colorist
Jonathan Giraldo	....	assistant editor
Jason M. Harvey	....	assistant editor (as Jason Harvey)
Jennifer Lee	....	assistant editor (as Jenny Lee)
Timothy Lozada	....	assistant editor (as Tim Lozada)
Gregory Maratea	....	digital intermediate producer: Post Logic Studios
Rebecca Merle	....	post-production coordinator
Katie Schulz	....	post-production coordinator (as Katie Schultz)
William Lehman	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Cyril Merle	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Jaron White	....	contributing editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jay Bellerose	....	musician: drums and percussion (as Jay Belrose)
Caroline Buckman	....	musician: viola
Matthew Cooker	....	musician: cello (as Matt Cooker)
Marcy Dicterow-Vaj	....	musician: violin (as Marcy Vaj)
Richard Dodd	....	musician: cello
Chris Douridas	....	music supervisor
Ryan Freeland	....	music recording engineer: The Pass
Terry Glenny	....	musician: violin
Eric Gorfaine	....	musician: violin (as Eric Gorfain)
Leah Katz	....	musician: viola
James King	....	musician: saxophone
John Krovoza	....	musician: cello
Marisa Kuney	....	musician: violin
Joe Lisanti	....	music editor
Bruce MacFarlane	....	music recording engineer: Mimeograph (as Bruce Macfarlane)
Craig MacIntyre	....	musician: drums and percussikon
Peter Nevil	....	musician: clarinet
Dan Ostermann	....	musician: trombone
Dan Ostermann	....	musician: tuba
Alyssa Park	....	musician: violin
Michael Penn	....	musician: keyboards, guitar, bass, various and sundry
Nic Rainer	....	music editor
Melissa Reiner	....	musician: violin
Jim Schultz	....	music editor
The Section Quartet	....	musicians: quartet
Niko Toubia	....	assistant music supervisor
Patrick Warren	....	musician: keyboards
Patrick Warren	....	orchestrator
Amy Wickman	....	musician: violin
Alwyn Wright	....	musician: violin

Other crew
Claire Chandler	....	intern/logger
Kelsey Coleman	....	intern/logger
Vincent J. Cook III	....	intern/logger (as Vincent James Cook III)
Alfred DeGrand	....	intern/logger
Jacqueline Eckhouse	....	legal services: Sloss Eckhouse Brennan
Andrew Esterly	....	intern/logger
Nicholas Feitel	....	office intern
John B. Finn	....	accountant: JFA (as John Finn)
Ted Gesing	....	production coordinator
Brian Hayashi	....	intern/logger
Pete Hayes	....	accountant: JFA
Alex J. Johnson	....	production assistant (as Alex Johnson)
David Kelley	....	title designer
Paul Kresge	....	intern/logger
Daniel Manco	....	production assistant (as Dan Manco)
Adam Mandel	....	legal services: Sloss Eckhouse Brennan
Adam Messenger	....	intern/logger
Bernard Moor-Jankowski	....	intern/logger (as Bernard Moor Jankowski)
Chris Ohlson	....	production coordinator
Keith Overton	....	intern/logger
Erin Owens	....	production assistant
Emily Radecki	....	production assistant
Adam Sackett	....	title design assistant
Jared Sales	....	intern/logger
Michael Smith	....	intern/logger
Melody Storm	....	intern/logger
Roger P. Wasson	....	title design assistant
A.M. Peters	....	assistant to director (uncredited)

Thanks
Hannah Bailey	....	special thanks
Colin Clemens	....	special thanks
Geoff Haase	....	special thanks
Megan Krizmanich	....	special thanks
Jennifer Lucht	....	special thanks
Mitch Reinholt	....	special thanks
Jennifer Shepherd	....	special thanks
Jake Tusing	....	special thanks
Ali Wikalinska	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• 57th & Irving Productions
• A&E IndieFilms
• Blacklist
• Firehouse Films
• QuasiWorld Entertainment

Distributors

• Festive Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Entertainment (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Paramount Japan (2008) (Japan) (theatrical) (as Paramount Pictures Japan)
• Paramount Vantage (2008) (worldwide) (theatrical) (except UK)
• Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paris Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)

Special Effects

• Againstallodds (animation) (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")
• Blacklist (animation)
• Nanospore (animation) (segment "Notre Dame")
• Pistachios (animation) (segment "Kiss")
• Psyop (animation) (segment "Nerd")
• Render It (render farm) (segment "Fight") (segment "Love)
• Syndicate Entertainment Movers (motion capture suite) (segment "Fight") (segment "Love")

Other Companies

• Columbia Records  soundtrack
• Indiepay  payroll services
• JFA  accounting services
• Mimeograph Records  music recording facility (as Mimeograph)
• Pass, The  music recording facility
• Post Logic Studios  digital intermediate
• Sloss Eckhouse Brennan Law  legal services (as Sloss Eckhouse Brennan)
• Swelltone Therater  sound re-recording facility
• Widget Post Production  sound mix facility

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual material, some drinking and brief smoking-all involving teens.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | Japan:PG-12 | Denmark:7 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-11 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Indiana, USA

Company:

57th & Irving Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-07-26)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Great Escape

You want to stay with these kids forever

In the documentary "American Teen," which had its Regional Premiere here at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival on the heels of an auspicious Sundance debut, filmmaker Nanette Burstein chronicles a year in the life of a group of high school students from Warsaw, Indiana.

On the face of it, it seems like we've seen this before -- the popular girl, All-American jock, shy pimply geek, and wild child -- growing up and dealing with the overwrought, overblown, magnified time of life that is adolescence in rural America. But this is 2008, and issues that were never raised in the past, or were overlooked -- mental health, self-acceptance, peer pressure and the need to fit in -- take on a new, frightening reality in this day of Columbines and nooses and hatred taken to unheard of levels. The consequences of ignoring what our teens are saying are more frightening than ever before.

Yet Burstein's subjects are a refreshing dose of a reality we don't see on television -- yes, these kids are troubled and in need of support, but they also demonstrate an impressive capacity to heal themselves. They are smart, streetwise, and comfortable in their own skin. They are smart, funny, and adorable. They have more to teach us about the importance of being able to laugh at ourselves than we may be willing to admit.

Ultimately, they grow on us because we've all been there, if not one then a combination. There are more awww moments than one can count and, in the end, we want to stay there in Warsaw, Indiana.