Saw this as a Netflix streaming movie. Filmed in Queens and Brooklyn, made mostly by TV-experienced crew and cast. I enjoyed it, not as trivial and silly as many high school comedies are.
It is senior year and Ezra Miller, a member of the school newspaper staff, has adopted the name 'Gonzo' Gilman. He aspires to attend Cornell studying journalism and his idol is the journalist who became known as the first "gonzo journalist" Hunter S. Thompson.
(As a short 'aside', gonzo journalism is a no-holds-barred style that considers the style as important as content, and sometimes a good injection of fiction can make an objective article even more effective in its impact. There is a recent movie, "Rum Diary" based on Thompson's book.)
Anyway the editor of the school paper is favorite son, the popular wrestling hero, played by Jesse McCartney as Gavin Reilly, and just an extension of school policy and heavily edits Gonzo's first article, and soon after kicks him off the staff. Undaunted Gonzo decides he will fight back and start his own 'underground' newspaper, complete with a website, enlisting the help of a number of other students.
At first it appeared the movie might degenerate into the usual warring factions, the pretty and popular girls plus the muscled jocks against the not-so-attractive geeks. And, that basically is the division used here, but the story develops along a more meaningful line than many high school movies. The underground newspaper does uncover some issues, like the unhealthy operation of the school cafeteria, but it also gets the participants threatened with expulsion.
Pretty and exotic Zoe Kravitz is Evie Wallace, who has gained a not-so-nice reputation but in fact she is a fighter against the in-crowd and has a very helpful working knowledge of the internet and building web sites.
Effective are Amy Sedaris as Diane Gilman and Campbell Scott as Arthur Gilman, Gonzo's parents. As well as James Urbaniak as Principal Roy who just wants to gloss over everything.
Ultimately the movie is a type of 'coming of age' story, primarily for Gonzo Gilman, but also for several other characters.
It is senior year and Ezra Miller, a member of the school newspaper staff, has adopted the name 'Gonzo' Gilman. He aspires to attend Cornell studying journalism and his idol is the journalist who became known as the first "gonzo journalist" Hunter S. Thompson.
(As a short 'aside', gonzo journalism is a no-holds-barred style that considers the style as important as content, and sometimes a good injection of fiction can make an objective article even more effective in its impact. There is a recent movie, "Rum Diary" based on Thompson's book.)
Anyway the editor of the school paper is favorite son, the popular wrestling hero, played by Jesse McCartney as Gavin Reilly, and just an extension of school policy and heavily edits Gonzo's first article, and soon after kicks him off the staff. Undaunted Gonzo decides he will fight back and start his own 'underground' newspaper, complete with a website, enlisting the help of a number of other students.
At first it appeared the movie might degenerate into the usual warring factions, the pretty and popular girls plus the muscled jocks against the not-so-attractive geeks. And, that basically is the division used here, but the story develops along a more meaningful line than many high school movies. The underground newspaper does uncover some issues, like the unhealthy operation of the school cafeteria, but it also gets the participants threatened with expulsion.
Pretty and exotic Zoe Kravitz is Evie Wallace, who has gained a not-so-nice reputation but in fact she is a fighter against the in-crowd and has a very helpful working knowledge of the internet and building web sites.
Effective are Amy Sedaris as Diane Gilman and Campbell Scott as Arthur Gilman, Gonzo's parents. As well as James Urbaniak as Principal Roy who just wants to gloss over everything.
Ultimately the movie is a type of 'coming of age' story, primarily for Gonzo Gilman, but also for several other characters.