Yes, the plot is completely predictable, using the high school Shakespeare angle instead of the high school prom thing. But O'Haver and his cast have so much fun with the material, from the opening credit scene in which the entire town, singing Love Will Keep us Together, follows the heartbroken Berke down the street ... to the play's opening night, which almost reaches Springtime for Hitler levels of hilarious awfulness. The fresh cast dives in to their roles with brio, and the oldsters hold their own, most notably Begley and Kurtz as Berke's far-too-liberal parents, and Short, who steals the film with yet another unforgettably brilliant comic performance (every tiny nuance is absolutely perfect). This isn't a great film--it tries too hard to jump on the toilet humour bandwagon (some works, most doesn't) and there are just a few too many fantasy sequences trying to blur the lines between the play and real life. But what wins out here is, pure and simple, the film's bright, rhythmic, goofy teen spirit.

themes, language, vulgarity

5.Jun.01

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