Home Room

"Home Room" came as a total surprise. Not having a clue as to what it was all about, it paid off big time because it doesn't hold any punches and what we see is how lives are changed by the act of a disgruntled young man who decided to victimize his class mates, who are the innocent victims of his rash actions.

Paul Ryan, the director, who is working and editing his own material, is a talented man who is rewarded by some amazing acting all around by his cast.

Alicia Browning is an older girl who is trying to graduate high school. She has been away a couple of years and doesn't seem to be in the same wave length of the other students. For one, she is a rebel with a punk look, lots of makeup and a mouth that will cut anyone who dares to come near her orbit. Alicia was among the students in the home room where nine students have died, supposedly killed by her boyfriend. Alicia, we realize, is a wounded girl who has gone through a terrible ordeal in her life, but we are not given any clues to that effect.

What follows is the aftermath of the tragedy, as it concentrates on a young woman who has survived it. Deanna Cartwright is a wealthy teen ager who shouldn't have been at the school, at all. When a ricochet bullet hit her, she is hospitalized with more than a wound. She is trying to get over this dark period in her mind but the nightmares don't let her forget.

Alicia is made to go to the hospital by the school principal. Since she doesn't cooperate with the police, the head of the school wants her to see Deanna in her terrible state and perhaps she will soften up and will tell the authorities what she knows. Alicia dislikes Deanna, but in a matter of days, both girls will make peace. We don't realize until the last sequence what really happened that horrible day in school.

Busy Phillips makes an excellent Alicia and Erika Christiansen is equally good as Deanna. Victor Garber, James Pinkins, Taylor Holland, and the rest of the cast play as an ensemble.

The film has an intensity because it's not explicit in showing how the shootings occurred, which helps the tone that Mr. Ryan wanted to give this movie.

What a surprise; two outstanding performances by the lead actresses in this film. This is the best work Busy Phillips has ever done and the best from Erika Christensen since Traffic. This film certainly should be in Oscar contention. See this movie!

The industry dropped the ball on this. The trailer does not do the movie justice and when this opened it was on a hand full of screens. Had people had an opportunity to see this, work of mouth would have made it very successful. The 2 lead actresses each give great emotional performances that really draw you in to the story and especially the characters. I checked this out based on the rave recommendation Richard Roeper or (Ebert and Roeper) in his book. An example of a great film that never got fully released except on a few screens. Which gave it no chance to be seen. Some movies go to video quickly because they aren't that good. This is Oscar worthy and it's a tragedy on many levels that most will never even hear of it. Maybe via word of mouth it will gain a following on DVD or cable. If you haven't see this movie you should. Great performances of the 2 lead actresses make this movie. It could have just been another formulaic teen movie after school special but instead it stands up well to other note worthy films. Girl Interrupted comes to mind. If you like that you will like this.

Both girls are in one amazing emotional scene after another without coming off as melodramatic. Even though Alicia is angry and Deanna is crying through most of the movie it is done is such a real way that they do not come off as stereotypical characters or as melodramatic. The movie will move you in many scenes and if you are an aspiring actor use these real performances as your school. Erica is even better in this than in Traffic. I hope both of these actors get more roles that utilize their talents as well and let them shine. See this movie and if you like, recommend to friends so it doesn't get lost among all the blockbuster crap that comes out every year. This movie was buried while Spiderman 2 tops records. What kind of word are we living in? AGHhh. So to make the world right again see this and recommend it.

Why a stupid, boring, crappy overrated film series like "Star Wars" gets all the hype, and a truly amazing film like this one goes completely un-noticed.. is beyond me... This movie will really open your eyes to the dark, disturbing, sad, and scary world we live in...

Unlike the boring "Elephant", this movie isn't one of those "just a typical day until someome pulls the trigger" movies.. this movie focuses more on what happens AFTER the event...

Deana, played by the very hot and very talented Erika Christensen, is a happy and healthy straight-A student with great friends and a great life... until... she is injured on the day of the shooting, by being shot in the head.. Luckily she is not killed, but is severely injured and has to be in the hospital for a while, causing her to be in a lot of emotional pain, in addition to the physical...

Meanwhile, Alicia, played by the also very gorgeous and talented Busy Phillips, is a nasty, cold-hearted, rebellious, anti-social goth girl who doesn't have a single positive trait on her... and she is unharmed when the shooting happens.. because it turns out, she was FRIENDS with the shooter and knew he was going to do what he did... which causes her to be brought into the police station and be asked some questions.. When she refuses to tell the cops if she knew the shooting was going to happen, they constantly come by her house to try to convince her to say something... and she still doesn't, so the principal of the school makes her attend a funeral of one of the dead students, and after she walks out on that... the principal decides enough is enough, and forces her to go visit Deana in the hospital.. Of course she refuses this too, but the principal says that if Alicia doesn't do this, the cops are going to continue to try to get her to say something.. and so she actually goes to see her...

The lonely, traumatized, and both physically and emotionally wounded Deana is more than happy to have someone visit her, but of course, Alicia is anything BUT happy to be seeing her.. Deana attempts to give her a friendly welcome, but of course, Alicia responds with nothing but harsh and hurtful comments and a harsh statement on how she is only here because she is being forced, and has no intention of being friendly with her at all. But sooner or later, that intention will change... (and that's all I'll say :) This is truly one of the most moving movies ever, as well as one of the most dark and disturbing.. Actually, I think I would tie this with "American History X" as equally disturbing and moving at the same time...

WARNING: Watch this movie at your own risk!! It contains VERY graphic scenes and images! EXCELLENT and criminally under-appreciated movie! I feel so ashamed that I'm pretty much the only one that knows about it!

As I have read in other reviews, this movie is not about school shootings but rather about its consequences on the people who go through it. And I like that this movie doesn't try to find answers that are simple not that easy to find. One thing I've learned about human beings and human emotions is that two plus two doesn't usually equals four, and when it comes to such atrocities such as school shootings that are committed by human beings, there are not really logical or rational answers that you can find just by establishing a cause-effect relation. I remember listening to Sec. Defense Robert McNamara saying that "it's not that we are not rational, we are rational, but reason has limits". He was talking about the nature of war, and how this was done by human individuals. I think the same goes to school shootings.

And so, this movie centers on the relationship between two high school students who were present at the shooting, one who was left seriously wounded (Deanna Cartwright, played by Erika Christensen) and the other who survived the shooting unharmed (Alicia Browning, played by Busy Philipps) and knew the shooter personally. And who by the way are total opposites. I can't think of another two characters who differ more in almost every aspect of their background and personalities except one, and in the end they end up understanding each other and also caring for each other. But at first things are not easy for these two young women and they do not get along at all. Although from the start Deanna is friendly and polite with Alicia, Alicia does nothing but hurt her and lash out at her with sarcasm and harsh remarks. But gradually they begin to get past their differences and start to get along, despite Alicia attacks Deanna with some sarcasm from time to time. What is more remarkable about this movie is that it stresses something that people usually forget, and that is the meaninglessness of money and material wealth when it comes to dealing with tragedy and loss. Look at Deanna, who seemed to have it all, money, good grades, driving a BMW, etc. but it only took a traumatic and tragic event for her to be "dying inside" and even contemplate suicide. There is something of a cliché saying which says something like "when you are up everybody wants to be your friend, but when you are down you know who your real friends are". And it is clear that Deanna had no real friends, even she herself acknowledges this to Alicia before ask her to leave. The only real friend for her turns out to be Alicia, the less likely friend she could have, because Alicia and Deanna had nothing in common, except that they both were lonely and enjoyed each other's company. You can see how Alicia really cared about Deanna, because even after Deanna asked her to leave and not to come back, she DID come back and searched for her and prevented her from committing suicide, and helped her to get over the sense of tragedy and loss and learn to live with it.

And for me the end of this movie was a fair reward to all what these two young women had gone through together, because they had learned to know each other and care for each other, and they deserved to let go themselves and share one sweet moment of pure humanity between themselves. That is what I liked the most about this movie, its earthiness, because the emotions of both girls were so human, so real, and for me shows the importance of the human side of people when it comes to form a real friendship.