The recent success of such films as "Clueless" and "Scream" has
heralded in a new wave of teenage films but most offerings are just
as dimwitted and sophomoric as the original crop of high school
flicks a decade ago. Once in a while, a film that treats the subject
of teenagehood seriously comes along; fortunately, Susan Skoog's
"Whatever" is one of those exceptions. Set in the pre-"Just Say No"
days of the early '80s, "Whatever" details the maturation of high
school senior Anna Stockard (newcomer Liza Weill) and her attempts to
face, or at times escape, the various pressures of teen life - sex,
drugs, grades, higher education, family matters. Her best friend
(Chad Morgan) has her own set of problems as well including an
abusive father and dangerously promiscuous disposition. That's not to
say "Whatever" is a teen film with a totally straight face - humor
can be found in the details - the discussions about bongs and blow
jobs, the various archetypes of the high school scene, the scenes of
all-night keggers.
Yet because the film's themes are so universal - promiscuous sexual
activity and recreational drug use weren't unique to the '80s - one
wonders why the film is a period piece. With the occasional Reagan
reference or Atari prop, the only thing that really says '80s about
"Whatever" is the soundtrack, which features some quality tunes by
the Pretenders and the Jam. Still, that shouldn't detract from a
smart and mature teenage film and fine feature debuts by the director
and lead actresses.
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