Rocket Science (2007)

I was scared. I thought this movie might be like "Thumbsucker" or "Rushmore", even "Pumpkin", or some other quirky rip-off that just wouldn't be as funny or entertaining as one of those original, off the wall black comedies.

I liked Thumbsucker, couldn't get through Rushmore because I hate compulsive liars and found myself confused morally after watching Pumpkin.

Anyway, Rocket Science is well worth your time. Who doesn't need a dose of speech impediments, dysfunctional families, a weird Korean boy all wrapped up in a story about love, cruelty and the debate team?

I took my medicine and liked it.

When people say children are cruel, they don't really delve into that behavior. It's like hitting puberty transforms adolescents back to being babies, where all they know are their instincts. And let's face it: most of our instincts are based in evil. OK, you don't have to believe that fact, but I certainly do.

Peers start to convince them that the only way to survive is to be the meanest, scariest, most popular person in school and one does not achieve this by being kind and understanding.

Anyway, what I loved about this movie was the sincerity in everyone's not so perfect character. It was an open and honest story that gets up to the line of absurdity, but never crosses over it far enough to lose you.