Here are some things that become immediately clear at the onset of the latest indie teen satire, Arie Posen's "The Chumbscrubber." 1) Self centered, clueless parents don't listen. 2) Despite the clean, happy façade of suburbia, there is lot's of insidious stuff going on behind closed doors. 3) Teenagers take drugs. 4) The good loser kid (in this case, Jamie Bell) isn't really a loser, he's just misunderstood.
At this point, the hip teen satire has gotten awfully familiar. "Pretty Persuasion" (currently in theaters) mocks the Beverly Hills rich girl set. Last year's "Saved" satirized religious teens in a Baptist private school. "Chumbscrubber" takes on suburbia straight on--with a kidnapping story line and the use of a violent video game as the film's uniquely identifying gimmick. These sharp, clever movies make me long for the Ang Lee's all too earnest 1997 "Ice Storm." It's not necessary to flat out lampoon life in the suburbs to be funny or insightful. When films go too far over the top (as "The Chumbscrubber" unfortunately does), it becomes impossible to care about the characters.
Which is too bad, because there is plenty to like about "The Chumbscrubber." Our disheartened teenage hero Dean Stiffle (Bell) has our sympathy from the start. His best friend has committed suicide. His famous psychiatrist father is pushing pills at him. The sexy bad girl (Camilla Belle) he fancies is appealing. The dialogue is crisp and engaging. There are small beautiful moments, such as when the kidnapped boy expresses glee when his teenage kidnappers smash his detested tuba. The fine ensemble cast includes Jamie Bell, Camilla Bella, Glenn Close, Rita Wilson, Alison Janney, Carrie Ann-Moss, and a dazed, dolphin obsessed Ralph Fiennes. After a fine set up, it is painful to watch the entire cast of endearing odd balls morphing into tired caricatures.
