Class Rank

This is a sweet little movie, a nice high school romance. Because it deals with a high schooler and elections, it begs comparison to 'Election', but unlike that movie, this one is neither cynical nor condescending to its characters. Because it's a high school romance, some compare it to the movies of John Hughes, but this one is not as artificial and self-important as those movies.

The acting is solid. The lead boy takes a little getting used to, with an awkward physicality and somewhat stilted speech; but it fits the character and grows on you. The girl is quite good, and looks like a young Diane Lane. There are supporting performances from veterans like Bruce Dern and Kristin Chenowith. There is even a cameo by the director, Eric Stoltz, who started off in teen romances himself once upon a time.

The movie is getting virtually no release here in the heartland. It deserves better, but even if you don't get a chance to see it in a theater, catch it on DVD.

I went into this movie without high expectations and got a nice 100 minutes of entertainment, enough that I went back for seconds and watched it again.

A reviewer described the two leads in this as quirky to which I have to say I totally agree, although the boy is the more quirky of the two. For most of the movie I really liked the girl, then didn't like her, then liked her again. The boy was always likeable from start to finish and he reminded me very much of Napolean Dynamite.

Bruce Dern and Kathleen Chalfant's characters for me were the hit, they stole all the scenes they were in. Bruce Dern still has it, as if he ever lost it, he had my laughing on more than one occasion. I loved his comment about Lithuania near the end of the movie.

Eric Stoltz did a pretty good job directing this movie and I did not even recognise him in the movie first time round.

A movie I would definitely recommend if you like rom coms.

This film reminds me a lot of the Great Gatsby, between its intertwined romantic affair between love and society and the undying thirst for wanting to be at the center of attention.When I first watched this film I thought it was gonna be another spin on a high school rom-com but it turned into much more than that. Both characters have their own agenda but become intertwined when fate comes into play and fall in love.

However, this is not what I got from the movie. When the "Bollywood" students were putting in their input, I saw it as the american people commenting on people who are successful today. They constantly criticize and generate ideas to belittle their achievements or emphasize their failures. But in the end they are jealous because they stood on the sidelines and were just there for commentary. Moreover, this film made me realize that the American Dream is alive but people do not want to see it until its to late because its easier and a stable life to live on the sidelines.

This film is not a new concept and didn't have any laugh out loud moments, but I was impressed with the amount of heart and simplicity that director Eric Stoltz could pack in. Every major character had an interesting backstory and underwent remarkable development. The movie was a bit dry at the start, but soon became finessed and balanced.

Kristen Chenoweth and Bruce Dern also played a crucial role as the adult role models for Veronica and Bernie's characters. I also think the movie gave an accurate portrayal of high school students, as opposed to other films that overplay cliques and other social conventions.

It's really a family movie. I think people of any age or demographic can appreciate its themes.

I love the career trajectory of Olivia Holt. She is starring in her second film and it is just right for her. Her character is a self centered, driven young woman with her eye on becoming a Supreme Court justice. Enter Bernie, the perfect dupe for her, a quirky loner without a clue. It's teen romance movie magic. Eric Stoltz does a great job of showcasing Skylar Gisando as Bernie without forgetting who the real star is. Too bad it will never reach the audience it deserves.