O Pior Ano de Minha Vida

Allison Mack, Karen Allen, Caterina Scorsone

I just wanna say that films like this (films that revolve around younger teens talking about boys and realizing how much life can suck) don't appeal to me. But this one was.. different, somehow. First of all, it's NOT about a loser girl with no friends and is always miserable, and by the end of the film, turns into the prettiest most popular girl who everybody loves; like 'She's all that' sort of. Nik Faulkner (Allison Mack) is a chirpy 15 year old, going on 16. She has to take care of her twin brothers and likes a boy at school but discouraged about having to wear braces.

The characters wasn't all annoying and like alot of teen movies, there wasn't someone that always had to stir things up. Even the boy that Nik liked at school wasn't that bad, he wasn't a booster of his own ego, like they usually are in movies like this. I liked Nik's friends Mouse and Babyface, they were charming and comical. The one thing that would have been better is if they'd have just stayed friends at the end, instead of dating each other. but ah well. And of course it had to have Karen Allen in it, who played Nik's mum, or mom. It's a TV movie. All thats missing is Jane Seymour and a cheesy soundtrack and you've got yourself a pretty half-decent made-for-TV-movie.

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!

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")

Okay, "made for TV" -- Showtime, actually -- rarely means "watchable," but Smallville star Allison Mack really shines as the clunky-but-aware kid with braces, strange friends and a first crush in this purported "slice o' life" comedy. Think "That '70s Show" crossed with "10 Things I Hate About You" and you've about got it. While there are no stand-out performances besides Mack's, most of the supporting characters are quirky enough to be memorable, including Caterina Scorsone as the Bret Harte-idolizing best friend. Credit Eric Stoltz for reasonably fast-paced direction and keeping the characters, if not necessarily the plot, interesting. This is definitely a "either you like it or you don't" movie. I like it.