NORMAL ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR - 8/10 (A-)

An interesting and captivating teen drama buoyed by brilliant performances. Amber Tamblyn finally gets her chance to shine here, and she delivers on all counts. Her performance is raw, realistic, lovable and believable - and she really manages to light up the screen with every frame she is in. Kelli Garner also gives a brave, notable performance, and Ashton Holmes does a decent job as well. Daryl Sabara is decent and provides some much needed comic relief. Hilarie Burton was also decent in a small supporting role. A few subplots are underdeveloped, unfortunately, and many other interesting characters are not given enough screentime. The direction was great though, the cinematography was vivid and things moved at a decent pace. This is an excellent movie about friendship, discovery and "true love" in any aspect that I highly recommend seeing. It's incredibly original and heartfelt.