Home Room directed by Paul F. Ryan

ISBN: B0000BXMZ7
Publisher: Sony Pictures (2002)

133 minutes

Viewing Level: Grades 9^th and above

Even though it’s rated R for its subject matter,
this film will draw teenagers in high school.

 Summary:

This film deals with the aftermath of a school shooting. Six students are dead, and no one knows why or if anything could have been done to prevent the tragedy. Alicia, a Goth with a troubled past who pushes everyone away, is one survivor, while another student, Deanna, has been injured by a shot having grazed her head. Although Deanna seems up-beat and cheerful while trying to heal, whereas Alicia is sullen and withdrawn, the two form an unlikely friendship when they are thrown together as they try to come to terms with what has happened in their equally painful pasts. Detective Martin Van Zandt is the detective in charge of the case who is trying to put together the “why” of this school shooting. As the community and his superiors want someone to be culpable and to be blamed and arrested, he realizes that not every story is as black and white as it may seem. This is also a film that deals with the extended aftermath of such a horror and what happens when the television crews eventually leave and all that’s left is grief and an uncertain future.

Critical Evaluation:

Because this film was written, partially based on the Columbine shooting, the director, Paul Ryan, and the actress, Erika Christensen, showed the film for 300 Columbine graduates after a Columbine English teacher had seen it at a film festival. After the screening for students, parents, and teachers, the Post reported that Samson told Ryan, “I tell the kids, ‘Beware of the poets who tell our stories,’ and plainly our stories are in very good hands with you.” (Roeper, 2004, p. 195). The film, although it deals with a very difficult topic, is about the growing friendship between two types of people who would never have even talked during a normal school day. A Goth and a cheerleader grow close and realize that, although they may be quite different, their similarities pull them more closely together as they try to cope with their different, yet parallel psychological problems that threaten to drown them.

Reader’s Annotation:

A high school shooting shakes a small town.
One survivor can’t remember and another might remember far too vividly…

Author Biography:

The director, and also the writer, Paul F. Ryan, had started writing the script when the Columbine massacre took place, so he tailored the script according to the horrific incident. Columbine students, their parents, and the faculty received a screening of the film.

Ryan discusses how, instead of centering the story on why massacres like this happen, he focused on what the fallout on the community was:

What changed my mind was watching what happened in Littleton afterterwards. CNN reported the story for about two weeks, then left. The rest of America moved on, but the people in Littleton didn’t. How do you start living your life again after such a terrible thing? (Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Room_%28film%29)

Genre:  Drama, school shooting

Curriculum Ties:

This could be shown in a history class dealing with the topic
of school shootings and their aftermath.

Booktalking Ideas:

-Why did you think it took so long for Alicia to trust Deanna?

-Discuss the scene where the teens revisit their classroom.
What can be gained from doing so, and was it a good idea for them to go back?

-How realistic were the characters of Alicia and Deanna?

View-Alikes:

-Gus Van Sant’s Elephant.
-Denis Villeneuve’s Polytechnique.
-Guy Ferland’s Bang Bang You’re Dead.

Challenge Issue: Although there is no violence on-screen, the after-effects of trauma are easily seen. Although there are slight flashbacks to the killing spree one student perpetrated, this is much more a tale of coping with post-traumatic stress disorder, friendship, and a continuing hope for the future.

Reason to include in blog:

I remember seeing this film when it first came out, and it left a tremendous impact on me. There is only a handful of films that deal with teen shootings, and this is, as Richard Roeper writes, a great example of a “lost film”—a film that is quite good but does not get its day to shine for reasons ranging from financial backing to poorly planning of a release date. It’s a beautiful and haunting movie with fantastic performances by all.

References:

Home Room. (2010). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Room_%28film%29

Ormand, B. (Producer), & Ryan, P. (Director). (2002). Home Room.

[Motion Picture]. United States: Sony.

Roeper, R. (2004). Schlock value: Hollywood at it’s worst. New York: Hyperion.

Trailer: