CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL ---------------
Nicole Oakley (Kirsten Dunst, "Bring It On") is the troubled, substance abusing daughter of a Congressman who attends high school in upscale Pacific Palisades. While performing community service cleaning the beach as payback for a D.W.I. conviction, Nicole's harassed by a group of Latino teens from a poorer part of town, but one of them, Carlos Nunez (Jay Hernandez), catches her eye. The good looking, polite young man also attends her high school - by travelling on public transportation for two hours each way, each day - because he wants a good education in order to attend Annapolis. These two are "Crazy/Beautiful."
Will the wild, rebellious girl drag down the fine, upstanding young man or will he snap her out of her self-destructive streak? "Crazy/Beautiful's" conflict resolution is too pat in Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi's ("Bug") script, but the two leads make the film somewhat engaging.
Of course, first you'll need accept that straight arrow Carlos would give a second glance to a girl who's usually drunk, gets him into detention at their second meeting, dances provocatively through the streets of his neighborhood, tries to bed him within view of her own father (who mistakes him for their housekeeper's nephew) and is disapproved of by his entire extended family. Once we're over this little hump, the filmmakers back off to show more of Nicole's free spirited, artistic side as well as the root of her problems.
Congressman Oakley takes an interest in the boy who wants to go to Annapolis and offers to sponsor him. Carlos unbelievably misses his scheduled meeting with the man, distracted by a beach outing with Nicole. When the two finally get together, he's warned to stay away from the troublemaking Nicole for his own good. For some odd reason, Carlos pays more heed to Nicole's father than his own family.
Director John Stockwell ("Under Cover") may be dealing with an implausible story, but he does get some fine performances from his cast. The talented Kirsten Dunst propels herself through the film in bleary, angry, defiance gradually letting her natural radiance peak through after time spent with Carlos. She's never looked rawer, sporting the bruised, vulnerable look of Jennifer Jason Leigh. Hernandez does his best to appear initially wary, but we never get a sense of the stress he's been under that would make his character jeopardize all he's worked for. Bruce Davison does a good job as the caring parent who's at wits end. Lucinda Jenney ("Thirteen Days") is simply shrewish as Nicole's new stepmom. Taryn Manning creates a fully fleshed character as Nicole's best friend Maddy, but the script just leaves her by the wayside.
"Crazy/Beautiful" is reminiscent of Antonia Bird's 1995 film "Mad Love" which starred Drew Barrymore as a manic depressive in love with the upstanding Chris O'Donnell. While this film is a cut above that abysmal effort, it's conflict is forced and the resolution is pat.
C
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