ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Steve Pulaski Sam is a character who hates the idea of growing up, and, even as he approaches his mid-thirties, he clings onto the idea that he is a musician that will get his big break any minute from now. His ideology is the kind teenagers exiting high school or entering college possess, but then go onto approach a life-realization that they're living in a fantasy. Sam hasn't received such an awakening, and this makes for the perfect coming of age film centered on a character that solemnly loathes the idea.Sam is played by Mark Duplass, who, consistent readers will know, is quickly becoming one of my favorite male leads. After getting kicked out by his girlfriend, Sam crashes at his aunt's home in upstate Seattle (Melissa Leo) where she lives with her teenage son Oliver (Bret Loehr). When her divorced husband calls off the camping trip between him and Oliver, Sam feels almost obligated to take his dad's place and, after some convincing by his aunt, reluctantly takes Oliver and his best friend Jake (Carr Thompson) on a replacement camping trip.In a Hollywood film, the formula that would prove prophetic is that the three would be met with The Great Outdoors-style problems, wreak havoc on mother nature, have their actions prove reckless and almost inconsequential to nature and man, and walk away learning just about nothing. Thankfully, this is not a Hollywood film. It's a subtle, successful merge between a "mainstream" independent movie and the grassroots of comprehensive mumblecore (another recent example of the hybrid would be Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed).Mumblecore is often characterized by the naturalistic flow of its dialog and the inherent messiness of its videography and editing. Here, it has that polished look, while maintaining naturalistic dialog executed wonderfully by actors lacking a household name (with the possible exception of Leo). By the middle of the second half, I felt I kind of knew were this was going, yet was still liking every minute of it. It is then the film introduces an unexpectedly daring twist that catches one off-guard and ushers in a plethora of story possibilities, resulting in a pleasant maturity for the cast and crew. Writer Craig Johnson doesn't cop out when the going gets tough, but forces his characters to buckle down and grow up within the last half hour of the film.True Adolescents brilliantly showcases the maturity of a genre and its characters, by, as always, giving them a brutally honest slice of life and utilizing small events as the film's main conflicts. The character actors are wonderful, the scenery of the Olympic Peninsula is gorgeous, the scenery, especially in the woods, is thrilling and inviting, and all of this makes for a wonderfully earnest debut from writer Craig Johnson, who may rank next to the Duplass brothers, Andrew Bujalski, and Lynn Shelton as the best mumblecore directors in the business.Starring: Mark Duplass, Bret Loehr, and Carr Thompson. Directed by: Craig Johnson.

evanston_dad I liked Mark Duplass quite a lot in "Humpday," and there are several moments in "True Adolescents" when you get a glimpse of what a good actor he has it in him to be. But what also struck me about his performance in this coming-of-age story was how unlikable he can be when paired with the wrong material.He plays an immature musician, drifting through life and pissing off just about anyone who might be willing to tolerate him, until, bottomed out and crashing in his aunt's house, he agrees to take her son and his best friend on a camping expedition when the kid's father bails on him (for what, we are to understand, is the umpteenth time). While on that trip, something happens between the two teenagers that jeopardizes, and perhaps with dangerous results, their trip and forces Duplass into the role of adult, a role for which he is not overly suited.We're supposed to think Duplass is a loser, and I suppose we're even supposed to get impatient with him, but I also think we're meant to find him funny and charming, and I just didn't. Some people have a knack for being snide and sarcastic while still being winning, and some don't. Guess which camp Duplass falls in for me? My viewing experience of "True Adolescents" wasn't at all helped by the fact that the Netflix streaming version I saw screwed up somewhere toward the end so that the picture and the soundtrack were operating entirely independently of one another, so maybe it's not fair of me to judge the film too harshly.The cast includes Melissa Leo as Duplass's aunt, and makes me start to wonder if Leo, an actress I usually like very much, has decided that her best career move is to appear in absolutely any movie someone offers to her.Grade: B-

nathanschubach I thought the movie was light-hearted and cute for what it was. A screwed-up Gen-Xer type who, at age 34, is still without a real job, and, instead of remaining a selfish miscreant while living with his aunt, he decides to take up the offer to take his cousin and his cousin's pal on a camping trip for the weekend. The movie really is about male-bonding with someone other than a father figure from a younger age perspective, and over the course of this weekend, these two boys learn a bit about girls, themselves, camping, and looking out for one another. Mark Duplass plays a great role as the Gen-Xer type who is trying to find out what to make of his life. There were interesting plot turns and elements that remind me of "Stand By Me" or something. It features a lot of hipper, Washington State-based music, too (close to those of the 90's, the audience is even reminded of the Seattle Sub>Pop movement).I didn't care much for the ending, but it's the trend of the times right now to leave things open-ended for some characters. And I didn't like the fact that they wasted so much footage trying to find the pal for the entire day. I didn't feel it needed that much attention to the hardship of that feat. With that being said, though, that's the worst part of the movie. I wouldn't buy it for my collection per se, but I do think its worth the rent. 6 stars.

larry-411 On Saturday, March 14, I attended the World Premiere of "True Adolescents" at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.As a journalist concentrating on independent films, my Holy Grail is what I like to call the "sweet little American indie." This is writer/director Craig Johnson's first feature and he's hit the mark.Sam (Mark Duplass) is a 30-something rocker who never quite grew out of his teenage years. He's unkempt, unfocused, and unsure of who he is or wants to be. In other words, he has a lot in common with his 14-year-old cousin Oliver (Bret Loehr) and friend Jake (Carr Thompson). When changing circumstances in Oliver's home life force the unlikely trio to head off on an unplanned camping trip together, they are forced to grow in ways they never imagined. "True Adolescents" is filled with twists and turns and "whoa" moments -- the kinds which are made more powerful by knowing as little about the film going in as possible.There is so much to love about this film. It has the look and feel of a true indie, using ambient sound and natural light when possible. Much of the film takes place outdoors and at night -- a challenging situation for photography -- and cinematographer Kat Westergaard makes the most of what nature offers her. Hand-held camera is used quite a bit, especially during scenes where the boys/men are traipsing through the wilderness of the gorgeous Washington State coastline. One can almost feel the chill as the sun goes down. Water always looks good on camera, and there is no denying a "Mean Creek" feel to the film.Duplass is quickly becoming one of our brightest young stars in the indie universe. As his aunt Sharon (Oliver's mom), Melissa Leo is as radiant and lovingly protective of her children as she was in her award-winning performance in "Frozen River." But, most of all, this is a coming-of-age film and (besides Sam himself) the experience of becoming an adult centers primarily on the two young actors Bret Loehr and Carr Thompson. Relative newcomers to the business, the boys were actually the ages of the characters they were portraying (14-15). How refreshing not to see a 20-something caked with stage makeup to look 16. The boys took risks, both emotional and physical, which would challenge actors twice their age.As a character-driven film, "True Adolescents"shines because of their natural talents, but the real impact of the film lies in Johnson's powerful script and its ability to resonate with viewers. This brilliantly crafted story is filled with images that will stay with you long after leaving the theater.