That's What I Am

2011 "I'm a teacher. I'm a singer. I'm a writer."
7| 1h41m| PG| en
Details

A coming-of-age story that follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol, a bright student who, like most kids his age, will do anything to avoid conflict for fear of suffering overwhelming ridicule and punishment from his junior high school peers.

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Reviews

Incannerax What a waste of my time!!!
Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring
BlazeLime Strong and Moving!
Palaest recommended
Leftbanker From the first words of this film you just know what you are in for: a "leave no cliché behind" clumsy attempt at recreating an "era." From the opening credits with TV ads and news reports of "those turbulent years" to the completely corny voice-over narration of the now-all-growed-up protagonist you know that you are in for a film about childhood seemingly written by someone who never had the experience himself. It's like the writer lived in the hospital during his formative years and only learned about this stuff from watching lousy 60s TV, or even worse, Happy Days which was a TV show depicting life in a fictional era. This movie is to adolescence in the 60s as Austin Powers is to spies of this time, except without the humor.Has there ever been a more cliché bully in all of cinema? Even if a bully like this one ever existed he would be more of a lame creation than a human being. A one dimensional socio-path doesn't even rate as a character in a crappy horror movie.There wasn't a single honest, authentic moment in this entire film.
SnoopyStyle What the heck just happened? The WWE logo comes on, and a serious drama comes on. Is this a new effort to broaden out the WWE brand? This is a coming-of-age story of 12 year old Andy Nichol (Chase Ellison) in 1965. He's a normal kid who's trying to survive school when Mr. Simon (Ed Harris) forces Andy with the school's biggest outcast the quiet giant red head Stanley (Alexander Walters).Writer/Director Michael Pavone must have binge watched "The Wonder Years". This was filled with all the clichés, all the bully, all the first love drama, and even has the iconic older-self narration. Everything is jammed in there that it felt much more derivative than it needed to be. However to say something is derived from an icon like "The Wonder Years" isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Brandon Blackwell A coming-of-age story that follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol (Chase Ellison), a bright student who, like most kids his age, will do anything to avoid conflict for fear of suffering overwhelming ridicule and punishment from his junior high school peers.That's what I am is a WWE film, which caught my attention because the film was actually amazing! The film, acting, and everything is all very real and captures middle school just as it is. I was very surprised by this and wish the average was a little higher than a 7. Parents to kids: The film touches very deep and suggestive materials that some might find no suitable. Not a problem for me, but as seeing how people can get a little strict about that stuff, just calling it out there. The acting is very good and very real and they took as I can see a long time trying to capture the emotions. Not really that great as I put it, but they did a very well job. And even to add on to that, this is a WWE film which is a big step up for them and if they could continue making movies like this, that'd be great. So. I highly recommend this to anyone who well has good taste in movies and can learn to surpass the WWE sign popping up before the movie. 7/10.
JonathanWalford It's hard to not be struck by the obvious similarities between this movie and the television show The Wonder Years. The vintage setting, the baritone voice-over, the main character who survives middle school by avoiding bullies and geeks as much as possible, lusts for an 'out-of-his-league' girlfriend, and goes home to an un-user-friendly father and patient, loving mother.This week's episode is about a red-haired geek who looks like one of the Walton children. He is paired up with the main character for a project by a wise teacher. Things go wrong, rumours fly, and accusations are made that the teacher is a 'homo'. I don't know what is more difficult to believe, that 13 year olds didn't know what a 'homo' was in 1965, or that bullies would cower in fear from a tall, skinny geek.The movie isn't bad, it's probably even 'sweet' for those who didn't grow up on the Waltons and/or The Wonder Years and can't compare the productions. But it is undeniably maudlin and should be approached with caution. I know some will think I shouldn't have seen the film if I don't like these types of movies. That isn't the point. There are good and bad versions of this type of coming of age film and this is a middle-of-the-road version which is why I gave it 5 out of 10.