I saw this movie at blockbuster and almost didn't pick it because it seemed so low budget. But I'm so glad I did. I picked it up b/c I think Ben Foster is just an amazing actor, he just has so much focus in all his roles. Quick Synopsis: Ben Foster was bullied at school and made a bomb threat last year. He starts a new year with all the prejudices of being labeled an "at risk teenager". His art teachers played by Tom Cavanagh still has hope for him and the new girl from California sparks a love interest. Ben wrestles with bullies and the whole town as they try and tear him down. The film is well acted all around. At first it seems like the bullying is a bit contrived and exaggerated but later on it's really given some heart. The cinematography definitely feels amateurish at times but hey, it is a low budget film. All in all the story is great and moving while the performances are quite stunning. Every high school in the nation should show this film to their students.

This movie is excellent in portraying the high school life of these people. I watched this film to find an answer that I was searching for 8 years. And this movie gave me the part of the answer. This movie perfectly portrays who I was 8 years. Unpopular, depressed, emotionally unstable, and suicidal me. I know this story very well because I was one of them, just like Trevor. This movie made cry, and reminded me about everything in my past. Trevor was me, and I was him. This movie described everything about my dark past. But, i was saved, and Trevor was saved. He did what is right. and he had some people who supported him. Those people made him realize what is right, but also to confront it. Trevor was marely a person running away from all these peer pressures, bullying, violence, and himself. But, in the end he realized that he must fight it in order to do what is right. Now, I'm not talking about the usual "right" that others teach you, but your rights, freedoms, and will to stand up for yourselves. I never gave up to fight because I have people who love me, who admires me, who cares about me, and therefore I can continue to fight on. I was once a person with nothing, but now, I have something to long for, something to protect, something live.

What Fast Times was to the 80s, Bang Bang may be to 2002. Entirely different films tone-wise, these two titles may, nevertheless, present each decade's primary concerns revealingly.Bang, Bang, You're Dead gets its title from a play of the same name. That play examines the conscience of a fictional high school boy who went on a killing rampage not dissimilar to the fairly recent all to real ones.Bang, Bang, the movie provides us with a reason to believe that the play is a necessary one. Trevor, the main character, seems to be (to have been) on the brink of the kind of meltdown that could lead to columbine type violence. We encounter Trevor in the middle of his story, as the previous year saw him in trouble for a threat of violence. As a result of this outburst, Trevor is looked upon with suspicion by almost all of the other members of his community. Instead of receiving support from those tasked with being concerned about his welfare, he instead is objectified into a certain kind of _character_ whose options are limited.Mr. Cavanagh gives us a fine performance of what is more or less his TV character, Ed, thrust into the well-meaning and perhaps wiser than the rest of the community, theatre teacher who believes in Trevor's fitness for high school. Despite the outrage of the community, he wants to cast Trevor as the lead character in the play Bang Bang, You're Dead. Unfortunately, the folks in the town only know the basic elements of the play, as is indicated by their systematic failure to correctly recite the title.A study of the tenuous connections that hold a community together, and how those connections can lead to tension that pushes the breaking point, Bang, Bang shows us that we are not always as free from responsibility of our outcasts as we might suppose.Where the film "Bully" gave us a fairly unsympathetic case of teenage power dynamics and the explosive results, Bang Bang takes an intensive (and realistic) look into the conditioning done within high school halls. In the present mood of paranoia about the threats from outside of US culture, it's important for us to see that even in what might seem to be the most protected of our inner sanctums, we may force some elements of ourselves into an almost violent desperation. That this could occur to a middle class white male in a most similarly raced and classed environment, hopefully gives us pause when we think about the marginalization we force on those further from the so-called center.

OK, here we go. I don't pretend to be a critic, hence the lack of cool phrases like 'the terrific acting, intelligent plot, top notch camera work etc', which lacked even more in this 'movie'. I don't give a sh*t 'bout the imaginary exaggerated problems of the poor American youth, and my English sucks.This makes me quite the average movie viewer.What we got here: -depressed loser -chick -bullies -cool teacher, play-writer-wanna-be -a high-school play (including the typical teen-pathos) and freaking quotes like 'the children i killed are talking' to me... the play is taking place in my head!!! o.O -the idiotic idea about the USA high-school as a caste society: we're the cheer-leaders(preferably blond with titties), we're the rugby players - big, strong and stupid, some metals, rappers and other nerds here and there and oh - here's the extraordinary chick in which you shall fall in love... now! -thousands of clichés, pathetic acting, extremely annoying characters/actors and on and on...I'm still wondering what would make someone to give that thing more than 4-5, so here is my *1* rate and rant comment (to hopefully) balance it a bit.