Plot: What’s it about?
The rash of school violence has left numerous people dead, others wounded, and countless others mired in fear and depression. At Valley High School, a routine day at school turned fatal when a student came to school with a loaded gun. The young man opened fire on his fellow students and anyone else in his path, with no remorse whatsoever. The reign of terror ends when a police officer shoots and kills the teen gunman. A total of six students were slain in the attack and the shooter murdered his own parents as well, so with his own death, the toll on fatalities hits a mark of nine people. The locals want some answers on why this happened, a task that is given to Detective Martin Van Zandt (Victor Garber). The shooter was killed, but some believe that others might have been involved, or at least knew about the attack. The main focus is placed on Alicia Browning (Busy Philipps), a trouble young woman who was friends with the shooter. Alicia is a goth, so she isn’t very social, dresses in black, and has numerous piercings. After some time, it is decided that she wasn’t in on the attack, but Principal Robbins (James Pickens, Jr.) still believes some action should be taken. So he assigns her to visit one of the wounded students, a girl named Deanna (Erika Christensen), who is the polar opposite of Alicia. As the two spend time together, an unlikely bond is formed, but can any good come from such a horrific situation?
I am surprised to have seen so few films tackle school violence, as filmmakers often flock to relevant cultural movements. In the wake of a wave school massacres, culminating with the events at Columbine High School, only a scant few incidents have popped up, often cases in which a potential shooter was derailed. So as tensions calm and memories fade a little, perhaps filmmakers feel that the climate has cooled enough to explore the topic in cinema. Home Room is one of the first higher profile efforts, even though it wasn’t given much promotion and quickly moved from a limited theatrical release to home video. I expected an afterschool special of sorts, a movie that tiptoed around the issues, careful not to offend anyone. Instead, director Paul F. Ryan looks at the wake of a lethal school shooting and how it effects all those involved. The back cover indicates this is the story of two young women, which is true to an extent, but Home Room also deals with several other stories around the incident. The broad focus is a hindrance at times, as not enough time is spent on some stories, but you have to admire the lofty goals. Home Room is not a great movie, but it is a good one and should find some success on home video. As such, I am giving this release a solid recommendation, though as a rental.
The cast of Home Room isn’t loaded with high profile talents, but it does have a couple of young female leads most folks should recognize. The lesser known of the two is Busy Philipps, while I think almost everyone has seen her costar Erika Christensen on screen. Christensen has a massive screen presence, the kind you need to become a real star and if she stays in the business, she could be a real force. Her obvious good looks give her instant charm, while she has a sort of enigma about her, like you always want to know more. This enables her to take on all kinds of varied roles, as we can see her a sweetheart with ease, but she can be the psycho bitch in mere seconds, in a smooth and believable transition. In Home Room, she has to bring across a lot of inner turmoil and she does so quite well. She has only been in a little more than a handful of movies, but her stock continues to rise and the future is bright for this young star. Other films with Christensen include Swimfan, The Banger Sisters, Traffic, and The Perfect Score. The cast also includes Busy Philipps (The Smokers, Tv’s Dawson’s Creek), Victor Garber (Legally Blonde, Sleepless in Seattle), and Roxanne Hart (The Verdict, Highlander).
Video: How does it look?
Home Room is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full frame version also included on this release. This visual presentation is rock solid, but has a few minor quibbles that keep the score down. I saw some jagged edges at times, as well as a light softness, but these weren’t all that serious. The print is in fine condition, with minimal grain and debris, so the softness is minor and infrequent. The colors have a bright, real world appearance, while flesh tones remain warm and natural throughout. No troubles with contrast either, as black levels sparkle in stark, well balances tones at all times. A few small worries aside, Home Room looks terrific here and I think this treatment should please all viewers.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included 2.0 surround option won’t wake up the neighbors, but it handles the material and covers all the bases. After all, this is a rather subtle film in terms of audio, at least in most scenes, with the main focus placed on the dialogue. I noticed some good atmosphere in some scenes, which enhances the experience, as it adds to the realism. You can go overboard of course, but in this case, the elements are just as intended. The sound effects remain mostly basic in design, but sound good and when needed, extra kick arrives. The music sounds solid also, while dialogue is crystal clear and never suffers from any problems. This disc also houses a Spanish language track, but no subtitles were included.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a seven minute featurette, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
