Candy Jar

Lona and Bennett have been competing since kindergarten, maybe egged by their mothers who seem to have some issues that need to be resolved. And now college is beckoning them - Havard - or Yale - or not. Partly to look good on their CVs they are in the school debate club. But here everything gets very strange as competitive debating seems to have degenerated into a kind of bizarre speed talking contest in which points of evidence are made so fast that scarcely anyone understands.

Lona and Bennett are in some ways hugely similar and in others diametrically opposed so boy - girl, black - white, but both with single mothers, both geeks, bookworms, loners, and both very much attached to Kathy, a school counselor whose room is filled with the candy jars that give the film its title.

It's an unusual idea but it makes the film fresh and different. For me, the nonsensical debating process was a bit of a distraction, but maybe the very fact that we don't understand what they're struggling to achieve, let alone the actual arguments they make, maybe that helps us focus on them and how they matter more.

For the teen romance crowd, this movie has a good premise with two warring teens in the debate club who inevitably fall for each other. But it's actually so frenetic and fast-paced that half the dialogue you will miss as it whirls from one joke to the next. There's a rhythm to comedy and you have to let moments build and sit. This movie has its own unique rhythm to it, and it's fun in a lot of ways, but I just don't think it worked as well as it could have.

A simple movie, enjoyable with some good topics. Watched it on a lazy day. It's a good teen movie but, as an adult can also relate.

My initial draw to this film was that these two characters would be debating with all the intense energy high schoolers are known for. That's a real feat to pull off well, the split second timing and in and outs of the debate topic. Turns out that this kind of 'debate' is based on READING your research as fast as you can for 8 minutes, there was no real debate, very annoying to listen to, and there was no real demonstration of their brillian minds, we have to take that on faith. Huge disappointment, and gave very little for the film to run on.

Other than that, it's your typical story of boy and girl that don't like each other until they fall for each other, and over achievers that spend all their time studying, and realize what they've been missing out on their life. Wasn't worth the time to watch. I think these actors had it in them to pull of real debates, but the creator / scriptwriters took the easy way out.

As a high school Junior enrolled in as many AP and honors courses as I can fit into a 7 period schedule struggling to find a spot into a university to have a successful, this movie is accurate; although, it is also dramaticized like many other films today. Many of my fellow students who are intelligent and successful oftentimes have trouble with communication and interpersonal skills, and some of their parents even have them take classes on learning how to interact with others. Our generation has come to a point where society pushes the need for perfection up our throats for so long we forget that it their and hurting many people's mental and physical condition. This movie draws attention to these issues in a lighthearted way that remains relevant. I recommend watching this just to gain an understanding of the stress, pressure, and hard work many high school students must do in order to gain "success".