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BANG BANG YOU'RE DEAD

Review by Gordon Justesen

Stars: Tom Cavanaugh, Ben Foster, Randy Harrison, Janel Moloney
Director: Guy Ferland
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Video: Full Screen 1.33:1
Studio: Paramount
Features: None
Length: 93 Minutes
Release Date: February 4, 2004

“It's not what's in a kid's backpack that makes him dangerous. It's what's in his heart."

Film ***1/2

You'll recall an alleged filmmaker by the name of Michael Moore who set out to make a documentary about our society clinging to guns and violence, not just as portrayed in the media, but in our daily lives. The documentary, the way over-praised Bowling For Columbine, was a pure cheap shot if there ever was one, even by documentary standards, illustrating once again that the running theme in Michael Moore's films is that Michael Moore is THE most important subject of each film.

As my friend and DMC cohort mentioned in his review of BFC, the featuring of the actual security camera footage capturing the moments of the horrific incident at Columbine represented, as he put it "the most detestable example of true exploitation ever brought to the screen". I couldn't have summed it up better myself. It simply doesn't make sense why the footage needed to be seen anyway, especially when the country up in arms once the footage hit the net, only to have Moore make a cheap shot by including it in a film released three years after the incident.

At this point, it would be understandable to ask, "Why all this anger towards Michael Moore and his film at this point and time?" Well, two reasons; one is that I've been yearning to voice my strong opinion against Mr. Moore ever since his notorious I-think-I'm-So-Ultimately-Cool acceptance speech at last years Oscars, and two, I thought it'd make a pretty good way of leading into my review of a much more poignant film, which I feel does more justice to the memory of Columbine than Michael Moore ever could, or attempt to.

Bang Bang, You're Dead is a most powerful account of exactly what it takes to push any young high school teen over the edge; far enough to want to commit a heinous act such as the Columbine incident. To the best of my knowledge, and if I come off sounding one bit ignorant--please forgive me, it may have never been revealed if the Columbine culprits were ever subjected to daily run ins with school bullies, or had ever been humiliated by comments about how they may have stood out of the crowd. In this movie, that very element plays into the motive of the central characters.

Life in high school is anything but fun for Trevor Adams (Ben Foster). Although he appears to be keeping his cool, Trevor has come under fire from pretty much the entire student body following an alleged attempt to blow up the school the year before. Since that attempt on the school, Trevor has been undergoing anger management with help in negotiation training and seems as if the hot-tempered side of him is safe away from everyone.

However, the threats and name calling thrown in the direction of Trevor, and outsiders like him, are more frequent and hard hitting than before. Trevor is repeatedly the target of bullying by members of the football team, who've taking an intense disliking to him since his alleged bomb threat was to take place on the school football field. The daily psychological beat downs are aren't doing anything but pushing Trevor to the breaking point once again.  It's looking like the possibility of him moving on to a St Mary MBA or Christian University online degree is becoming less and less likely.

If there's hope in Trevor's path, it lays in the way of Val Duncan (Tom Cavanaugh), Trevor's drama class teacher. Val is intending to put on a play production called "Bang Bang, You're Dead", which illustrates the very thing that Trevor is enduring, or at least the consequences of his potential behavior. The production itself consists of the main character brought face to face with the victims of a violent school attack which he administered. The idea of such a play comes under fire from numerous school board members and parents, but Val persists with rehearsals, and looks to Trevor to play the lead part.

As pressure to go on with the play escalates, so does Trevor's inner emotions as he finds himself becoming attached to a group of outsiders who take a liking to the "alleged bomb threat king". Trevor comes to fear the worse when he sees right before him that an even bigger threat may find its way to the school, in the form of this new group, who've been pushed farther over the edge as Trevor was.

What's important to note is that Bang Bang, You're Dead IS an actual play that was written five years ago by William Mastrosimone, who also wrote the script for this movie. According to the movie's epilogue, since being written, the play has been performed in multiple schools across the country every year. Schools have clearly come to embrace the play as a way of confronting the inner feelings of our youth. It's a wonder why Michael Moore didn't feel the need to look to this while shooting his film. Actually, there is, it wouldn't have mixed right with all the finger-pointing hysteria he enjoys applying with overkill.

What's more, this is a made for television movie, actually made for cable as it premiered on the Showtime network. What I've come to realize is that TV movies, like this and 44 Minutes, demonstrate that some purely provocative work can emerge just as much from the small screen as well as the big screen.

Hard-hitting, intense, and exceptionally performed by the likes of Tom Cavanaugh of TV's Ed, and Ben Foster, who's nothing short of astounding and real, Bang Bang, You're Dead is perhaps the most riveting television film I've seen yet.

BONUS TRIVIA: The actual play can be either viewed or downloaded at www.bangbangyouredead.com

Video **1/2

Despite the often application of widescreen treatment to numerous TV fare, Paramount's presentation is in the original full screen format. While I can't necessarily complain about any flaws in the picture, because the image is in fact clear for the most part, I'm convinced that the anamorphic treatment could've somehow been applied, since studios like Fox have done to their TV shows like 24 and TV movies like 44 Minutes. At the same time, the picture quality is for the most part most acceptable.

Audio **1/2

As intense as the story is, this is basically a movie powered by dialogue more than anything else. The 2.0 track supplied, however, does manage to make the most out of the delivery of dialogue, occasional songs, such as concluding song performed by Oleander, and several individual scenes of suspense manage to deliver something of an impact. All and all, something of a mixed reaction.

Features (Zero Stars)

Nothing.

Summary: