"to fit in, you've gotta put out"

[raisingirl99]

So last night I watched the She's Too Young DVD I got for Christmas, complete with the commentary. The commentary was fairly interesting. I had hoped for more -- something from Miriam McDonald would have been especially nice -- but it was still worth watching. At the very least, I learned these three things:

1. Mike Erwin has some great insights into why Nick acted the way he did, including how he was trying to fill the void in his life caused by parental neglect.

2. Megan Park is adorable in real life. Becca had an edge throughout the entire movie that wasn't so pretty, IMO, but Megan doesn't seem to be like that at all.

3. I was relieved to hear that Alexis Dziena was surprised when she first read the script by just how extreme these teens' actions are. She said that no one in her peer group behaved liked that when she was fourteen. Well, I'm about two and a half years older than she is, and I had the same reaction.

In case you're wondering, She's Too Young is the Lifetime Original Movie starring Alexis Dziena (of Invasion fame), dealing with issues of teen sex. Since I love teen dramas (particularly when they tend to go over the top), I adore this movie.

Comments

[meadowlion.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Speak, based on the spectacular eponymous book by Laurie Halse Anderson?

[raisingirl99.livejournal.com]

I've neither seen the movie nor read the book. Do you recommend both? Should I read the book first?

[meadowlion.livejournal.com]

I do heartily recommend both. Here's what I put on my Netflix review of the film:

This is quite a good adaptation of an incredible book. I recommending avoiding plot spoilers, if possible, because the tale -- in book or film form -- will be more compelling and have more impact with less advance knowledge of its details. Although I feel that the book achieves a richer, more complex layering of humor and pathos, the film still incorporates healthy doses of each. Some skilled actors (my opinion that Eric Lively was a little *too* clean for the Andy Evans role notwithstanding) bring to life a poignant story with nuanced performances. And the ending of the film is more completely satisfying than that of the book.

As is probably obvious, I read the book first, and I think I'd suggest following the same order. I appreciated the film's more complete resolution after the book's slight stumble on that point. On the other hand, there was more development and richness to the book that you might rather experience after having seen the movie. ::shrugs:: It's a tough call.