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American Teen

(2008, Rated PG-13, Documentary, Starring Hannah Bailey, Colin Clemens, Megan Krizmanich)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 13, age appropriate for kids over 15; suggested age 15.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Riveting documentary is bound to get kids talking.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 15 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    A high-school student is fiercely independent and paves her own way through senior year, dealing with inconsistent messages from her parents. A guy gives in to peer pressure and breaks up with someone who's outside his social circle. A rich popular girl is predictably mean and manipulative (including instigating the aforementioned incident of cyberbullying involving sending around topless photos of a "friend") but has family issues to deal with at home. A lonely guy seeks romance; some girls aren't particularly sympathetic or nice to him.
  • Violence:

    No violence, but a couple of disturbing scenes include the discussion of a suicide and of Hannah's post-break-up depression.
  • Sex:

    Teens kiss and hold hands. One teenager discusses "doing it," while another sends a boy a topless photo of herself that is subsequently emailed around the school. Very drunk college-aged women kiss each other and a high-schooler.
  • Language:

    Teenagers regularly use all of the usual curse words -- "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "ass," etc. -- throughout the movie.
  • Consumerism:

    The brands aren't "product placement," since this is a documentary, but they're definitely visible: Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Legend of Zelda, Mercedes, Ford, Apple iPods, etc.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Teens are shown drinking heavily and smoking cigarettes. One boy's older brother makes a point of getting the younger man drunk when he comes to visit.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About American Teen

Parents need to know that this eye-opening documentary was the breakout hit at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and has been heavily promoted via MTV, so teens may well want to see it. It follows real high-school seniors from the small town of Warsaw, Ind., and doesn't flinch from showing them drinking, swearing, smoking, hooking up, and talking about sex. They also worry about their romantic relationships, peer pressure, college applications, scholarships, and grades. There's plenty of manipulative behavior and tons of emotional ups and downs, all of which teens are likely to recognize and identify with -- and parents may find themselves panicking about.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how the featured students personify the stereotypes of high school life. Do teens really fall into clear categories like "geek," "misfit," "princess," etc.? Teens: How much do you relate to what's shown in the movie? Which of the kids in the movie do you think you're most like? Parents and kids may also want to discuss some of the behavior shown in the movie. Is cyberbulling as prevalent as the film portrays? What are the consequences? Also, what are the real-life consequences of underage drinking? And are high-school relationships so easily affected by peer pressure?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Missouri
    I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 4.0

    A one you must watch with the kids

    The show is trying to teach some morals while hitting the subjects head on and pulling no punches. In our society so many of our kids are subjected to sex, drugs, and poor parental guidance in their daily live. This show give the parents an opportunity to watch this your preteens and discuss the issues. Are kids are subjected to this stuff by the time they are in middle school in real life. You have to get to them early.

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