Graduation (2007)

Graduation is a rite of passage for almost all American teens. This is a moment in time between the relative safety of high school and the altered reality of either going off to college or moving out of the family home and making it on you own. This special day has been the focus on numerous films and will in all probability drive many more to come. ‘Graduation’ takes a slightly different look at this momentous day as a group of students plan a bank robbery for the big day. This is another flick in the latest trend of combining several genres; in this case action, drama and comedy. While a formula like this is very prone to failure this film presents itself very well and actually works out. This movie could have wound up as a late night cable flick but the talent people on both sides of the camera elevate it to better than average. This is what independent films are all about; people making a movie that has some substance and entertainment value. This film does have its problems but there is at least an attempt to overcome them. Many may just be do to the low budget and a rushed filing schedule. It isn’t the type of film that you can just shut off your mind. It does require the audience to follow a story. Indy film distributor Magnolia has brought this movie to DVD so now it can reach the bigger market that it deserves.

The film was directed and co-written by a reactive new comer, Michael Mayer. In his writing capacity he was joined by D. Cory Turner who does have a writing credit for a Indy short film. There script is a refreshing departure from the usually graduation day oriented flicks. Instead of mindless sex and an abundant consumption of alcohol they team provides a detailed look at four young people with a lot more on their minds than gowns and mortar board tasseled hats. The story revolves around a group of four life long friends getting ready for graduation from high school. The writers could have taken the cheap and easy way out with some juvenile high jinks but opted for a more interesting path. Each of the four has their own reasons for the bank robbery. In an interesting plot twist none of these rationales involves scoring a quick buck. This is where the drama genre comes into the mix. Mayer and Turner pay attention to the young people involved in the story. They build characters that act in realistic albeit extreme ways. They never go over the line to the melodramatic keeping this film above the pack. Sure, there is a concerted effort to play on the emotional response of the audience but it works in the context of the story.

With a couple of short films under his belt Michael Mayer takes on directing his freshman feature length movie. So many young writer-directors choose horror films now that it is reassuring to see one that can break away from the herd and choose to make a more significant movie. It would appear that Mayer is part of the group of Indy directors who is turning to more classics methods and techniques. This is a teen film only by virtue of the age of the characters. It does not possess the inane antics that other youth oriented flicks employ. His direction here is straight from the shoulder. His camera is there to record the story for the audience and not define it. It is great to finally watch a teen movie that does not rely on film school camera tricks. This is a well through out film that was crafted not just thrown together. Because of this the target audience may range a little higher than the characters depicted. These are young people who are facing serious problems in life and feel trapped by circumstances. For a director to straddle as many genres as used here takes some considerable talent and fortunately Mr. Mayer has it. The film is impeccably paced. The action portions prevent it from dragging down into an emotional quagmire. There is just the right amount of comedy to prevent the drama from overwhelming. In all he has done a job that is not usually found with most first time directors.

The film begins with a voice over stating that by the time you are a senior in high school you either know what you want to do with the rest of you life or you don’t. Instead of the usual cheerful image the audience is shown a floor spattered with blood. A young man, Tom Jackson (Chris Lowell), is seen sitting on the floor with a gun in front of him. He would have like to go to his graduation but the police had them surrounded. The time line shifts back to two weeks before that fateful day. It is night time and four friends are standing on a bridge as a fright train rapidly approaches. The first in line is Polly Deely (Shannon Lucio) who says something about wanting to get into Harvard before leaping to safety. Next is Carl Jenkins (Chris Marquette) who is thinking about the perfect date for prom. Then there is Chauncey Boyd (Riley Smith) who makes a comment about the size of his manhood. Last in line is Tom who is unable to come up with something that he wants. Later they drop Carl off at work and Chauncey tries to get romantic with Polly but is playfully rebuffed. She does pull up her shirt as she goes into the house almost caught by her father Adam (Adam Arkin). He is ostensibly going back to work which considering the hour at night and the fact that he works for a bank seems strange. It does turn out that he is having an affair which Polly will come to resent. The four gather around the breakfast table. Carl’s mother (Glynnis O'Connor) is ill, lying on the couch while the kids affectionately take care of her. Mary needs an operation but has been declined by her insurance company. It will cost far more than the modest family can normally come up with. Slowly the idea surfaces that they need to rob a bank. This will be a one time thing to help Mary. Since Polly has come to hate what her father is doing by having an affair she becomes the brains of the outfit planning the break in. Needless to say things do not go off as well as the four had hoped.

What sets this film above the rest of the teen flicks out there is it does not pander to the audience; it respects them. There is a motivation for the crime other than self interest. The four are painted with a fine brush; they are fully developed characters not the one dimensional hedonistic stereotypes that most films about this generation rely on. While there is an emotional heart of the film it is also a decent action movie. This is definitely one that should be watched and enjoyed.

Posted 04/01/08