I have to admit this did not sound like the most compelling story line for a movie, but fortunately, I was wrong. "OT: Our Town" is a compelling film. When the students take the stage (in fact, the foot-high platform of the school cafeteria, because there was no stage nor a budget for this production) and wow the full house, I found myself just a little bit teary.
First time director Scott Hamilton Kennedy intercuts scenes of rehearsal with footage from the the play's classic all-American television version from the 1970s starring Hal Holbrook and Robby Benson. The vast difference in cast and location (from an all-white to an all-minority cast, from the mythic Grover's Corners to the all too real location of Compton) is almost mind boggling, but under the fierce and truly inspirational direction of English teacher Catherine Borek, the students are able to transform the play into a work that truly is relevant to their own lives.
Kennedy conducts a series of revealing interviews with the teenagers at school and at home: they are alternately shy and composed, innocent and wise beyond their years.
"OT: Our Town" is a moving experience, but it's more than that. This film is timely and relevant. As this country's military budget grows to astronomical heights and the already underfunded arts programs get gutted into non-existence, the triumph of one theater group succeeding against incredible odds reveals just how much art matters.
