`ADVENTURES OF SEBASTIAN COLE' STANDS ABOVE PACK.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic If you're a confused adolescent - or remember being one - this year has delivered a bumper crop In agriculture, a bumper crop refers to a particularly good harvest yielded for a particular crop. Example: "With all the rain we've had over the last few months, we are expecting a bumper crop this year. of movies designed to feel your pain. Ranging from the sublime (``Rushmore'') to the subversive (``Election'') to the just plain stupid (``American Pie''), these films have have served up teen-aged traumas that include every demographic - gay and straight, prom queen and social outcast. The latest entry, ``The Adventures of Sebastian Cole,'' scores points for originality by having its troubled teen being reared by a transsexual trans·sex·u·al n. A person who strongly identifies with the opposite gender and who chooses to live as a member of the opposite gender or to become one by surgery. adj. 1. Of or relating to such a person. 2. . That the man/woman in question is the most responsible adult in Sebastian's world gives you an idea where first-time filmmaker Tod Williams' sensibilities lie. This movie is J.D. Salinger by way of John Hughes
Sebastian (fine newcomer Adrian Grenier Adrian Grenier (born July 10, 1976) is an American actor, musician and director. Grenier is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Vincent Chase. ) lives a restless existence in upstate New York Upstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area. It has a population of 7,121,911 out of New York State's total 18,976,457. Were it an independent state, it would be ranked 13th by population. with his high-strung mother (Margaret Colin Margaret Colin (born May 26, 1957 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American actress. Biography Born in Brooklyn the daughter of a New York City police officer, Colin was raised on Long Island and graduated from Baldwin High School, Baldwin, New York in 1976. ), college-bound sister (Marni Lustig) and stepfather Hank (Clark Gregg Clark Gregg (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor. He stars in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, which debuted in early 2006. Gregg was born in Boston, Massachusetts to an Episcopalian minister father. ). Everything is fine, if a little mundane, until the day Hank announces that he has decided to become a woman. Sebastian's mom doesn't take the news well and whisks the 17-year-old off to her native England. But he's soon back in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , shunning his idiotic biological father (John Shea) in favor of Hank, who now goes by Henrietta. In a way, it's an ideal pairing. Both are outsiders struggling to understand themselves and forge new identities. Of course, that commonality also produces its share of problems as well. Sebastian wants to be a writer and believes he must first have some adventures (``like Hemingway,'' he says) in order to accrue material. These episodes involve some standard elements of teen-age rebellion - motorcycles, late-night club-hopping and dangerous girls, all of which hamper Sebastian's main goal, which is to leave high school (and his small town) a year early. Williams sets his film in 1983 but doesn't overplay o·ver·play v. o·ver·played, o·ver·play·ing, o·ver·plays v.tr. 1. a. To present (a dramatic role, for example) in an exaggerated manner. b. To emphasize or stress unduly. the nostalgia card as, say, ``200 Cigarettes'' did earlier this year. Likewise, the Hank/Henrietta role is nicely understated and never lapses into caricature. Gregg plays the part with courage and integrity, which is a refreshing change of pace from much of this summer's smarminess. At one point, the brooding Sebastian complains that he ``hates all those dumb high school movies,'' and, indeed, ``The Adventures of Sebastian Cole'' won't likely find a home with the ``American Pie'' crowd. Williams' film doesn't reveal any big truths or contain neat resolutions. If anything, it's a little too episodic, and its structural creakiness catches up with it a bit at the end. Still, these are appealing adventures that truly seem bold and, more importantly, authentic. But then, the movie pretty much has the coming-of-age-with-a-transsexual-parent genre all to itself. THE FACTS The film: ``The Adventures of Sebastian Cole'' (R, language and crude sexual references). The stars: Adrian Grenier, Clark Gregg. Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Tod Williams. Released by Paramount Classics. Running time: One hour, 39 minutes. Playing: UA Warner Center in Woodland Hills, Landmark Westside Pavilion in West Los Angeles
Our rating: Three stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Newcomer Adrian Grenier plays a daring teen in ``The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.'' |
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