Normal Adolescent Behavior

Six "20-something" high school students have been best friends forever. Upon coming of age, they decide to avoid adolescent sexual angst by pledging to only screw around with each other. But, things get sticky for the sextet when hot Amber Tamblyn (as Wendy Bergman) gets a load of hunky new neighbor Ashton Holmes (as Sean Mayer). Should Ms. Tamblyn stay with her sex buds - Kelli Garner (as Billie), Raviv Ullman (as Price), Stephen Colletti (as Robert), Julia Garro (as Ann), and Edward Tournier (as Jonah) - or split for Sean?

Surprisingly, nobody considered having Mr. Holmes join the group. This would have made the film more dynamic, and could still deal with the "one" v "multiple" partners debate. Also, Holmes could teach Ms. Garner (the only one who never broke the rules of the group) how to give a good spanking; because, as the group's unofficial leader, she really should know. The spanking scene between Tamblyn and Holmes is about as daring as the sexcapades get - although some more adventurous fun is implied to be going on.

For some reason (possibly, to deceive you into thinking there is more nudity in this film), the studio decided to re-title this film "Normal Adolescent Behavior: Havoc 2" somewhere along the way to its DVD release. Be advised, "Normal Adolescent Behavior" has nothing to do with "Havoc" (2005), which was a good story derailed by some strained performances (Freddy Rodriguez was good, though).

This film features a very connected Tamblyn (from "General Hospital", and the daughter of Russ Tamblyn) giving writer/director Beth Schacter an excellent lead performance. Tamblyn shows the dramatic fire of young Sally Field; hopefully, she'll have a long, successful career. And, you may recognize "Raviv Ullman" is indeed "Ricky Ullman" from "Phil of the Future", showing dramatic range of his own.

Ms. Schacter works incredibly well with the cast. In probably the best-written of the secondary roles, Ms. Garner shows why she should be a more well-regarded actress. Actually, all the supporting cast members, including "Watchmen" comic reader and cookin' little brother Daryl Sabara (as Nathan), leave you wanting to see more of their film work... so, can anyone explain, after seeing him in this film, why Mr. Tournier has only ONE feature film credit?

******* Normal Adolescent Behavior (4/27/07) Beth Schacter ~ Amber Tamblyn, Ashton Holmes, Kelli Garner, Ricky Ullman

I saw this film at the Tribecca film festival earlier this year. To be completely honest with you, i think that it may be one of the worst movies i've seen. i was on the fence with my decision because some of the acting was very good, but i finally came to the realization, that this movie was dull, pretentious, obnoxious, poorly written and not well put together at all. Beth schacter seemed pretty pleased with herself at the premiere. I was not pleased, at all. The scenes did not flow together at all. It was amazingly noticeable when a scene changed. The dialogue was flimsy, and often times hipocritical.Half of the point was to show these teenagers as teenagers, but then they would just come out with these insanely mature things to say. It left you sitting there saying "where the hell did that come from?" Another thing...teens and sex. NOTHING new was said on the topic. Alright, teenagers are engaging in rather risky sexual behaviors at younger ages, heard it before, what else you got? Tone in the movie was probably the first thing i noticed. The movie would just take you through moods like it wasn't no thing. It would make you chuckle at one point, then INSTANTLY try to get you sad and somber. It expected you to switch emotions like you would a lamp. It wasn't working, at all. Finally, I have a question for Ms. Schacter. Just what was the message about teenagers you were trying to get across? Cuz it seemed to me you were sort of confused yourself. Are you trying to say that being a teenager is one of the greatest times of life? That we should all be nostalgic for our days of puberty? Or are you trying to say that as teenagers, we are all selfish creatures, taking no regard for others feelings while living in a world of 'me'? I honestly don't want this movie released, it's not shocking, it's not interesting, it's not controversial, and there's nothing new said here, at all. Life is too short for such a pretentiously dull movie.

The six suburban high-school friends Wendy (Amber Tamblyn), Billie (Kelli Garner), Ann (Julia Garro), Jonah (Edward Tournier), Price (Raviv Ullman) and Robert (Stephen Colletti) share a sexual relationship among them since elementary school swapping partners without regrets or excuses. When the newcomer Sean (Ashton Holmes) moves to the next door of Wendy coming from Chicago, the girl feels attracted by him. But her bond with her friends split her feelings between the normal relationship with the conservative Sean and the kinky sex she uses to have with her mates. Meanwhile her younger brother Nathan (Daryl Sabara) has a crush on Sean's mother Helen (Kelly Lynch) and uses his ability of cooking to try to seduce her.

"Normal Adolescent Behavior" is a pointless and shallow coming of age story of a group of promiscuous friends from dysfunctional families that have a club of kinky sex. The unrealistic characters do not have any previous development of their motives for such behavior and their fake relationship is simply thrown to the viewers through the dramatic dilemma of Wendy that has a past and does not know if she shall be another slut in her group of friends or the girlfriend of a nice guy. I do not know the background or the (mental) age of the writer and director Beth Schacter, but she certainly might have impressed teenagers in the wrong way with this stupid and dull story. The title is awful and mislead the viewers and should be "The Society Is Made of Rules", no matter whether it is a brotherhood of sex or the conventional society. The good point is the acting of these promising young actors and actresses that could not do better with this terrible screenplay. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Rebeldes Sem Causa" ("Rebels without Cause")

Six teens (3 girls, 3 guys) form some sort of mini-commune/club. They spend time just with each other. They have sex only with each other. They think of themselves as special, different, superior than the rest of the kids. Most importantly, the 3 girls in their minds don't see themselves as sluts, like all other girls are.

They have some rules for dealing with each other and with others, such as never lie (to each other). Each one has a box that belongs to another. In the box are things from the past that meant something, or that are somehow embarrassing.

One day, one of them, Wendy, meets the new guy in school, Sean. He quickly falls for her. She's different, smart, outspoken. Of course he wants to be with her, but she can't be with him because she can only be with her club. But Wendy's younger brother falls for Sean, so it seems. It's not clear what is going on with that kid.

Eventually Wendy falls for Sean, too, which of course causes tension withing the club. Billie in particular flips out. She ends up giving Wendy's box of secrets to Sean and he flips out and wants Wendy to burn it. Eventually Wendy has to confront Billie. And she'll have to decide whether to chose Sean or her friends.

Normal Adolescent Behavior, marketed as Havoc 2, has nothing to do with Havoc. It's a result of the hysteria some years before that about the supposed casual sex lives of teen girls. Of course no one cares about the sex lives of teen boys, or the casual sex lives of adults for that matter. How a group of kids that spends time having group sex among each other is supposed to laudable as opposed to sluts, is never clarified. Of course we're supposed to believe that the former or the latter is "normal" teen behavior. But sex isn't really what this movie is about. The topic of Greek tragedy comes up repeatedly and I guess we're supposed to see the movie as such, but I don't. The movie is about the drama of fitting it, of belonging, of finding someone, of family vs. outsiders. And as such it's a good movie. While there's not a whole lot of normal teen behavior featured, the teens are "normal" for Hollywood standards. That is, neither the obnoxious insufferable ones, nor the super strong, super smart ones featured in ever single show/movie these days. And for that reason the movie also lacks an impact. You witness a dramatic episodes in these kids' lives that isn't all that interesting. One problem is that quickly the movie centers on Wendy leaving the rest of the group aside and we learn nothing about them. Especially, the males of the group are completely disposable, while a lot is made of the bizarre and charicaturesque character of Wendy's brother which doesn't add much to the story to begin with.

Okay. Not sequel in the usual sense. But it does have Havoc 2 in the title. This movie by far puts Havoc the first movie; with Anne Hathaway, to shame. Miss. Hathaways acting was superb but the movie missed so much. This one's incredibly original. No it doesn't portray average teenagers today, but its a movie. Its suppose to be different and intriguing and lure you into another world. Even though these friends are not normal, the way the movie was made, the way the story was built, and of course the acting make it all believable. Made me feel like I felt when I saw The Craft in 5th grade. Truth be told the movies are similar in structure. Anyway, Props to all the people who worked on the move!