Disturbing Behavior (R) no stars (out of ****)
To borrow one of David Spade's quips on his old "Hollywood Minute" segment on _Saturday_Night_Live_, I liked this movie better the first time I saw it... when it was called _The_Stepford_Wives_. In _The_Cradle_Bay_Teens_--er, _Disturbing_Behavior_, a seemingly idyllic Washington town hides a dark secret: in an effort to make their teens reach their maximum potential, parents and a unscrupulous high school counselor (Bruce Greenwood, a long way from Atom Egoyan's films) conspire in a strange program that turns rebellious adolescents into robotic do-gooders--"Blue Ribbons," as they are called.
There isn't an original moment in Scott Rosenberg's derivative screenplay. When the _Stepford_ allusions tap out, he turns to _A_Clockwork_Orange_ for a climactic "conversion" sequence. It is also incredibly predictable; plot turns are telegraphed with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. He even botches the de regueur "twist" ending, which is neither surprising nor shocking nor of any real consequence. It's hard to fathom what in the script exactly attracted the involvement of a few _X-Files_ vets--director David Nutter, composer Mark Snow (who wrote a terrifically eerie score that the film doesn't deserve), and, in small roles, _X_ guest star Steve Railsback (Duane Barry, the guy who kidnapped Scully) and recurrent Chris Owens (Agent Jeffrey Spender, Cigarette-Smoking Man's son). As Steve, the hero with the requisite damaged past (he is haunted by the suicide of his older brother), James Marsden has blue eyes and clean-cut looks tailor-made for a _Bop_ pinup--and all the emotional depth and acting range of the page it would be printed on. Katie Holmes, the standout cast member of TV's _Dawson's_Creek_, is wated as the token tattooed, body-pierced love interest. To paraphrase the theme of her hit show, you don't want to wait for this film to be over. Just leave. Better yet, just don't go in the first place.
Michael Dequina
mrbrown@ucla.edu | michael_jordan@geocities.com
Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://welcome.to/mrbrown
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