Response to Ginia Bellafante’s Television Review of “High School Confidential” –
“Their So-Called Lives: Documenting High School Years”
Published Monday, March 10, 2008 in the New York Times
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/arts/television/10bela.html?_r=1&ref=television&oref=slogin
The setting is a public high school and the characters are 12 teenage girls but this is no high school musical. In actuality, WE’s “High School Confidential” is a true life documentary that follows these 12 girls through the four grueling years of high school. More than just gossip and shopping, “Confidential” is teenage pregnancy, illness, death, self-mutilation, and even marriage all before graduation. Unlike recent films such as “Juno” and “Knocked Up,” “High School Confidential” is hard-hitting and heavy, dealing with the harsh reality of the different events that happen to these girls during their 4 years.
In her review of this TV documentary, Ginia Bellafante mentions the “good fortune” that “Confidential” has in premiering after “Juno” but at the same time, it brings another level of dimension to teenage pregnancies. None of the young women who become pregnant in “High School Confidential” have the same humor that “Juno’s” Ellen Page presents to the topic but this portrays the grave the reality of the situation – a situation that could not necessarily have been prevented with protection and Planned Parenthood as believed by Bellafante.
Although she mentions the flaws of the show (like choppy editing and little action), she highlights the distinguishing feature of this documentary – the lack of exceptionalism. In her words, “it does us a service” as these are real girls suffering and growing on their own. They are not geniuses, future presidents, Olympians, or music prodigies – they have few expectations with some of the girls hoping to just get into the local college for school.
After catching a few previews for this show and reading this review, I am interested in seeing how the documentary develops. It is definitely not “The Hills” and that is refreshing to see but at the same time, with very heavy material such as self-mutilation and a life-threatening illness, I have to wonder about how much reality is too much?
2 comments:
I enjoyed how clearly you describe "High School Confidential" and how you credit Bellafante as mentioning both the flaws and distinguishing features of the film. Great job!
Your clear skills at journalism sometimes perturb me, as i am jealous. well done, as always.
Post a Comment