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A few weeks ago, in my summer preview, I mentioned a dozen movies that I was looking forward to this season. Not only was Crazy/Beautiful not one of those twelve, but I went so far as to list it in the "Stupid Teen Movie" category. Ah, that's the problem with those sorts of articles--you're forced to make assumptions, and we all know what happens when you do that.

Of course, it's not completely my fault that I jumped to the wrong conclusion. The plot--troubled, rich, white girl and upstanding, poor, Latino boy fall in love and have to deal with the clash of cultures--is not exactly a recipe for success. Furthermore, though Kirsten Dunst did star in last year's fantastic Virgin Suicides, she's also been in more banal teen fodder like Get Over It, Dick, and the execrable Drop Dead Gorgeous.

But let me take it all back and pick Crazy/Beautiful as this summer's big surprise (so far). Its tale of young romance is poignant, convincing, and true. It's one of those rare teen movies that is both relevant to its target audience and mature enough for adults to enjoy.

The film's plot is nothing special. Dunst plays 17-year-old Nicole, the rich, somewhat spoiled daughter of a congressman who spends most of her time drinking and riding around suburban L.A. with her best friend Maddy (played by Taryn Manning). One day, while picking up trash after being convicted of a DUI offense, she bumps into Carlos (newcomer Jay Hernandez). Though Carlos goes to her high school (he busses two hours across town), she's never noticed him before. But there's something special about his smile, and she makes a point of flirting with him back at school.

Besides being from the other side of the tracks, Carlos is also much more responsible than Nicole. He wakes up before dawn to make it to school, always kisses his mother when he goes out, and is even applying to the Naval Academy. But as sometimes happens in life (and always in the movies), opposites attract.

If the storyline is rather common, the writing in Crazy/Beautiful (courtesy of Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi) is striking in its representation of teen culture. The dialogue rings true, and Carlos and Nicole's relationship--with its ups and downs, ins and outs--will be recognizable to anyone who can remember their teenage years.

The script for Crazy/Beautiful is also remarkable for how much it respects its audience. Characters are shown and revealed, rather than, as is common practice today, described through leaden dialogue. Plot threads develop organically, with subtle foreshadowing instead of obvious conflicts and resolutions. The movie even has Carlos and his family speak Spanish (without subtitles), believing that the audience can figure out what's going on from the actors themselves. If the screenplay has a flaw, it's that there are too many interesting characters. Nicole's friend Maddy drops out of the picture about halfway through, and we never get to know much about Carlos's mother.

My friend Garth, who adores last year's teen flick Bring It On, has been urging me to anoint Dunst as the next big thing. And though she has shown great charisma in Virgin Suicides and Dick, I wasn't ready to go that far. Teen "It" girls are a dime a dozen, and most burn out before they hit legal drinking age.

But after her performance in Crazy/Beautiful, I'm ready to not only jump on the Kirsten bandwagon but start dragging other people along with me. It's hard to put a finger on it, but she has a presence that just jumps off the big screen. Her goofy charm is infectious, but she also reveals a deep vulnerability that makes you care passionately about her character. In Crazy/Beautiful, she goes one step farther and displays a range that is
impressive. Her fun-loving, dance-around-the-street scenes are joyous, and her sad, lip-trembling ones are compelling.

Dunst even shines in the little moments. There's a great shot where Carlos is talking amiably with Nicole's father, and the look of embarrassed boredom on Dunst's face is exactly right. Hernandez is also solid in his more-muted role. Acting as the voice of reason, he's a nice foil for Dunst's flamboyance. But he's also believable when his love for her overcomes his own sense of responsibility. There's a nice scene when he comes to school and looks frantically around for Nicole, unable to find her as the camera swirls around him.

John Stockwell (making his directorial film debut) brings a wonderful sense of rhythm to Crazy/Beautiful. Except for a couple MTv-type scenes, the movie moves at a natural pace. It may not have the flashy cinematography of an arthouse film, but there are some nice visual rhymes--Carlos and Nicole's first kiss happens in a dingy tunnel that is reminiscent of where they first meet. Stockwell's only misstep might be his infatuation with Dunst's beauty. His camera is forever panning up her legs or catching her stomach as her shirt rides up. But I suspect most audience members won't be complaining.

Crazy/Beautiful is so strong that its rather conventional ending is a little disappointing. I was hoping for something a little more realistic, a little less pat. But nonetheless, it's a wonderful movie with two engrossing characters and a star performance worth shouting about. 

 J. Robert Parks