Memories of a Teenager

Memories of a Teenager has many laudable qualities, but the filmmaker doesn't make the case strongly enough for us to believe that the boy we see through every minute of this this film is suicidal. There's no emotional or logical preparation for the abrupt and seemingly arbitrary ending to a young promising life. Add to that the fact that 22-year-old Quattordio plays a 16-year-old, and the actor's physical maturity undermines his believability as a teen. Tone shifts also undermine the project. When Zabo first starts writing, animated outlines appear around his face and hands, indicating we're in a a world of whimsy, perhaps even fantasy, a feeling that's upended as the action proceeds. Zabo complains about teen stereotypes and then embodies most of them. "Teens appreciate nothing," he writes as he ignores his parents' concern for him. "We take any drug we can get," he writes sarcastically, then gathers with friends to drink to unconsciousness and get high. He writes his "blog" so others might not feel alone, but he doesn't publish it. Even when the film depicts his obliviousness, it never presents him as despairing or headed for suicide. Perhaps the message is that seemingly well-adjusted kids are just as likely to kill themselves as depressed ones.

But nothing in the 97 minutes here indicates inevitability. The parents feel guilty for missing the "signs," but what were the signs? In an effort to save others from his pain, the dad writes that friends and family should give kids hugs, and make sure teens don't feel alone. That, of course, is good advice for all of us. Any film calling attention to the tragedy of teen suicide deserves attention, but this one certainly has flaws.