O Pior Ano de Minha Vida

...get your braces off. "My Horrible Year" tells of a young woman's indomitable spirit and courageous struggle against being 15...and having braces...and the chicken pox....and twin baby brothers...and parents who may be getting divorced...and sundry other appalling, disgusting, and terrible afflictions. Allison Mack manages to exude sufficient energy and personality as the centerpiece of this film to bind all the fun, campy, teen comedic situations together into an enjoyable romp through year 15. A fun watch for anyone who is 15, is going to be 15, or who was 15 and can still remember what being 15 was like.

In Ohio, a few days before her sixteenth birthday, Nick Faulkner (Allison Mack) listens partially a conversation between her parents, and misunderstands believing they are going to divorce. With the support of her best friends Babyface Hamilton (Caterina Scorsone) and Mouse Donovan (Dan Petronijevic), Nick tries to fix the marriage of her parents.

"My Horrible Year" was a wonderful surprise for me! The lovely Allison Mack is simply fantastic in this delightful family entertainment. The story is delicious, with the distressed middle-class life of a typical adolescent turning upside-down with the expectation of the supposed divorce of her beloved parents. The direction of Eric Stoltz is surprisingly sensitive, capturing in a delicious way the anxieties of Nick. Also amazing how the fifty years old Karen Allen is still very beautiful. I believe it is impossible not loving this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil) "O Pior Ano de Minha Vida" ("The Worst Year of My Life")

Dear Reader ...this film, amidst the cesspool of teenage-hopeful movies, really sticks out, kinda shines even. It lacks a lot of the campiness that is usually token with this kinda film, and replaces it with some refreshing realism (occasional profanity, believable scenarios, etc). I mean "Sure".... the narrator Nik (oh MAN what a cutie) tells a rather relative, angst-riddled tale, and is complimented well by her supportin' cast, includin' Mimi Rogers as the "stacked Aunt Marion". Eric Stoltz did a bang-up job directing this, from start to finish, even if the ending did leave a bit to be desired (just, it was predictable, that's all!). All things told, for being made-for-TV, delivered. It gets this fella's Stamp O' Approval.

I must say it was such a relief to see a movie about teenagers where the

actors are REALLY TEENAGERS! Allison Mack stars as 'Nik Faulkner',

you'll recognize her from 'Smallville', and she was only 18 when she

made this film, and it shows- in a good way. She looks 15 and even has a

little layer of baby fat that she's since shed for Smallville, but she's

ADORABLE. Even though it's a completely different genre, I liked this as

much as 'Smallville'; the side-characters of Babyface and Mouse are

realistic and funny and even kind of moving. The adults are good too but

they didn't really have much to do, as it's told from the kids point of

view. What's nice is that it's a film about loners and the gulf between

children and their parents, but there's no bitter irony or bad attitudes

present. These kids are deep and trying to become better people which is

something not seen in too many films for and about kids.

I loved it!

A neat little story with great acting, music, and camera stuff all supported by a distinct style that spells terrific fun. It's obvious that the actors had a good time making this film, and I had a blast watching it. It brought to mind Pretty in Pink and those delightfully light footed old John Hughes movies that had a big heart (but not a sappy one) at it's centerpiece. This is a very well cast film too, the ads would have you believe that Mimi Rogers and Karen Allen are the leads, but it's really the girl who plays Nick's story, and she holds it together splendidly as a teenager trying to save her parents marriage. The kids don't bitch and moan, they don't hate their parents, they just want to have fun and they do, in spite of all that happens in the story. The supporting roles of Babyface and Mouse and the parents and the great crusty old teacher `Mr. Birdwell' are good too. Only drawbacks of the story involve the slightly tired out "Will my parents get divorced' side plot, but extra points for the main character being a role refreshingly void of any typical pitfalls related to teenage girls of most recent movies- these girls aren't sex kittens or rebelious ‘tough kids'- they are smart and fun and a delight to watch.

Beyond that, this film is also very funny. My brother and I laughed a lot, and each scene flows into the next with ease. I particularly liked that these kids read books and seemed to really care about each other, and look forward to renting it and watching it again.