The Standard

This is the first movie based on high school life that I've seen that actually resembled high school. The dialogue is dead on, the characters are real, you knew (or know) people like this in your high school. You can watch the situations unfold and almost know what will happen, because you've been there before.

The movie centers around Dylan, who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. All around him are adult figures who are putting on the pressure to make the "right" decision and take action for his future, while he's just trying to get through the last two weeks before graduation when he'll be home free with his girlfriend.

The Standard breaks away from the "clean view" of high school that most movies portray. It shows what it's like to be a frustrated teen who isn't ready to make the big decisions, or just doesn't want to yet. It allows you to feel that pressure again, of life sneaking up, of feeling like your decisions will be made without thought because everyone wants you to do what they tell you to do.

The movie comes to an eye-opening finish, giving you an accurate final vision of how high school, along with life in general, truly is.

Hey chucklenuts i gotta bucket of chicken right here.

Although I did not personally like some of the characters, and their view points, i felt that this movie was an excellent portrayal of high school. It was so realistic, that i did not fully appreciate all aspects of the movie until the conclusion. I wanted more from the characters until the end, at which point i appreciated their simplicity. It's intensity captured me and made waiting worth it. I am incredibly impressed at the fact that Jordan Albertsen is only 22. He answered questions after we viewed the movie, and I respected him more and more after each answer. I am excited to see what more he has to offer us.

I saw this at the "world premiere" at SIFF. This movie is so wonderfully accurate, you can't help but sit and think, wow, that kid is in my high school (not to mention whoa, my high school), and you feel a connection, no matter how distant the connection may be, with almost every character. It has a lot of meaning, and is different in many ways to other films about teens. It shows a different side to a student, and is really eye opening. I thought it was great and would recommend it to everyone. It is an intense film, with a great approach to showing the characters, my meaning, not showing to much or to little, as to not affect your opinion about them other then what you see. All in all, it has humor, love, and some real heart wrenching moments, Jordan Albertson did an amazing job and I hope everyone who wants to will see it.

I was an extra in this movie almost a year ago (I showed up every day and appear in several scenes), and just yesterday went to see it at the Seattle International Film Festival. I absolutely LOVED it! It's extremely honest and really captures what high school is like.

I really identified with the main character, and the ending, even though I knew what it was based on my presence at the set, really managed to catch me by surprise and left me with a heavy feeling in my heart.

There were a couple of flaws: some of the swearing was a little unrealistic (though teenagers do swear constantly), and the characterization of the teachers wasn't always completely consistent. It's title is also a little unimaginative. But overall it's still one of the best movies I've ever seen, and for that reason I'm giving it a full 10.