Speech & Debate

Based on a 2008 off-Broadway play, this movie seems determined to cover every issue of concern for teenagers under the sun, and then some. Adult hypocrisy, teachers who are sexual predators, fuddy-duddy school boards, homophobia, internet hate and humiliation, bullying, teen pregnancy, underage drinking, freedom of speech, the difficulties in being a gay teenager new to a small town -- these are all addressed. It takes these issues on with a fearlessness not seen since perhaps the John Hughes teen movies of the 80s. And while not perfect, Speech & Debate does an admirable job of capturing the adventure and apprehension that so typifies older teens as they have their first-time experiences with the complexities of adulthood. And there are also some very funny moments: Parents who grew up in the '80s and '90s will love the cheesy production values of the Speech & Debate VCR tape the lead characters watch. 

When creating teen characters, many writers make the mistakes of either making teens too young, too old, or too one-dimensional. Speech & Debate manages to avoid these traps, despite falling into the trap in which nearly every adult (with the exception of Janeane Garofolo's character, who, in a memorable scene, puts drama-queen Diwata in her place) is a hypocrite, dumb, square, or hopelessly conservative. And while the three teen lead characters are developed and believable, there are times when Sarah Steele -- who plays the drama club ham of the bunch -- forsakes depth and nuance in favor of doing an imitation of Bette Midler's character in Beaches. And the constant striving to attain teen realism and credibility, either through the endless litany of teen topics addressed or emoji-laden text exchanges, becomes tiresome. Nonetheless, compared to so many weaker attempts to convey the proverbial teenage wasteland, the good far outweighs the bad.