Fast Food High

Emma Redding (Alison Pill) is a high school student working in Patty's, a Canadian fast food place. Dave Richter (Kevin Tighe) is the new owner. Dale White (Gil Bellows) is the creepy tyrannical new manager. He starts forcing out the older workers. He creeps on Emma and berates all the workers. When Emma tries to complain, she gets punished. She decides to organize an union despite not knowing the first step.

I can do without the flighty teen Mean Girls or an overly creepy Dale. I would probably prefer just a tyrannical Dale. He can be a creep without being sexual with an underaged teen. I don't really enjoy the teen melodrama aspect. The actual union organizing is interesting. Then there is the father. Even if he needs to be like that, he needs to explain it better. I understand the idea of piling on the obstacles but it's better to be more selective. Alison Pill is great and she makes this work despite any difficulties.

Other commentors have suggested that the entire premise of this movie is flawed. I agree. The obvious step of escalating the problem through other avenues obviously was written out of the story.

If you can get past that, and the drinking, and the language, and the unsupportivefamily, and the numerous parties.... then it is an interesting portrayal of one girls struggle to take on 'goliath'; the interaction between fast-food workers and unions; the delicate social life of the modern teen.

So, why did I give it a seven? It was a good-quality production, had some kind of *message* (given some liberties), and the acting was excellent. While obviously not the best movie out there, it is a springboard from which these actors (some extremely talented) can move up to more mainstream movies.