Shout It Out -- another high school musical

Last night I saw Shout It Out, billed as "the real high school musical." It's a major motion picture made in Vermont by a Vermont company, Kingdom County Productions, and based on lives of real teens in Vermont who participated in the original Voices Project, a theatre production that toured here and was supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. The actors are teens from Vermont and the music was composed by teens too.  The aim was to create a production that reflected the real lives and problems of teens.

What I found very moving and utterly charming about this piece was the experience of watching real teens, with all their fleshiness, pimples, old clothes, bad teeth, and other imperfections, tell a story. And they looked so real and beautiful.  Also, remember that the Disney High School Musical is a narrative based on what adults think high school is about. It is meant to make pop stars of its stars.  And it's of course cleaned up for Disney.  This production has many characters coping with all sorts of very typical problems of Vermont high school students, cutting, pregnancy, bullying, pushy parents, absent parents, being Black in a mostly white state, parents with addictions, needing to help out on the farm as small farms go under.  Yet the movie isn't about the problems of teens.  Filmed in two actual high schools, the scenes in cafeterias and hallways give the viewer a sense of the intimidation or comfort of each kid. 

And as a parent watching I felt different than I do watching other teen movies.  Sure, if the music is right and the acting well done, I can be made to shed a few tears in any slick film.  But in this one, the anxiousness that pervaded truly came from the authenticity of the stories and acting, even when the production was more transparent than in a slick Hollywood film. 

I write about this because I think it's so important that we show our teens alternatives to Disney, Hollywood, whatever is slick and over-produced, so that they can see themselves reflected on the big screens and little screens and be a part of the production of such. 

You can buy the film at www.kingdomcounty.org for $25 and I hear that they are creating a curriculum to go with it.  Warning: there is product placement in the film, as thanks, I believe, to the underwriters...but that product placement is not for Doritos or Coke, but for things like VSAC (a place where teens can go to get financial help to go to college, and Brattleboro Retreat, a mental health and drug rehab facility). Maybe there's a Ben & Jerry's ice cream cone somewhere.  That kind of product placement I can tolerate!  Sharon

Comments

[nandita]

i love uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
ilove uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[nandita]

i didn't like it so much

[high schools]

There are several recognized teens high school in USA which provides college preparatory environment to students that promotes academic excellence, leadership skills and other qualities in them. They schools appoint the experienced and educate instructors.

http://www.teensprivateschools.com/schooltypes/High-Schools/index.html

[Jennifer]

I thought you like HSM.

[Jennifer]

I mean liked.

PS I have a great idea for a Pixar movie.

100 Days of Summer

The Webber twins have just become sponsors for the new skate romp, but they have no idea where to get the money. They make $750,000.00 from MuchMusic records to make a CD for the money. (Cousin Debbie and twins Erik and Jenna get $112,000.00 to help organize the band.) They then decide to record a CD.

I can't tell you any more; that would ruin the movie!:)

[Girls Schools]

Girls schools educates girls to be tomorrow's leaders. The aim of these learning centers is to teach each girl to recognize her own individual needs and to use her self-awareness to achieve more than she thought possible. Faculty members of these schools are hand-selected for their professional expertise and their boundless enthusiasm for working with girls. Girls schools training programs motive the girls to express themselves through the arts of drawing, painting, pottery, photography, chorus, music instruction, writing, sharing family traditions and ceremony, meditation, visualization and relaxation exercises, and through maintaining a guided journal.

http://www.girlschools.net/

[Jennifer]

Actually, will you help me make my movie?

[natural acne treatment]

I missed my high school life a lot; it was really an amazing experienced being with friends always and doing a lot of foolishness. High school life is the most memorable stage of life in the memories of a person. This is where we are going to develop more and encounter urges. Experienced true love and be hurt.