Get Indy Film Fest showtimes for this film by clicking here.
This mature, sensitive drama about recent New Jersey high school graduates dithering on life's launch pad is like a welcome antidote to the execrable "Jersey Shore" crew.
Yes, the huge cast of "Exit 117" includes at least two women who have vaguely Guidette accents and attributes, and one young man who doesn't go around calling himself The Situation, but only because someone else thought of it first.
Writer/director/co-star Kevin James McMullin is after anything but fortifying clichés about the Garden State. Rather, he builds a web of intersecting characters who have a spot-on authenticity, perfectly capturing that mix of bravado and terror one experiences when you're 18 and sensing the safety nets of childhood being withdrawn.
The level of acting in this movie is superb -- more so when one considers that many of them are novices.
McMullin shows an expert hand in molding his actors' performances, despite this being his feature film debut. Shot documentary style, the audience feels like we're just another member of the freewheeling group of teens hanging out, smoking dope and talking about their futures.
With such a large group, it's hard to pick standouts, but a few do shine above the rest. Matt Strickland plays Matt, a goofy wannabe rock star. With his constant boasting and swagger, this could have been a very one-note role. But Strickland brings undercurrents of self-doubt and fear that Matt would never admit to.
Kristen Brunelli plays Janine, a girl whose ambitions run no further than getting married and having a bunch of kids. Her boyfriend is Grady (McMullin), the showoff rapper who acts out in public but shows a sweet side only to Janine.
Brian (John Blakeslee) is something of the central character, not more important but one around whom the other characters' stories swirl. It's the Richard Dreyfuss role from "American Graffiti," the smart kid who can't wait to get out of his small dead-end town, but knows he'll miss it five minutes after he's left.
Original music by Jonah Delso is noteworthy for feeding the film's tides of emotion without ever trying to push the rhythm. It's a welcome acoustic companion.
The film's not perfect. Some of the writing is a bit pat and familiar. When we see one couple deeply in love, we sense it's just a matter of time before the big split comes. And as we observe all the boyish camaraderie and horseplay, the way the guys talk smack about each other's sexual deficiencies, the countdown has begun until one of them announces his homosexuality.
As a whole, "Exit 117" lacks form. It's essentially 88 minutes of teens bantering and joking, making sorrowful confessions and declarations of undying love. As much as I appreciated the genuineness of this group, they needed some kind of narrative journey to undertake.
But there's no denying the audaciousness of this debut by Kevin James McMullin and his talented cast. Like the youngsters they portray, their potential practically gives them a glow.
4 Yaps