Plot
After a blurred trauma over the summer, Melinda enters high school a selective mute. Struggling with school, friends, and family, she tells the dark tale of her experiences, and why she has chosen not to speak.

Release Year: 2004

Rating: 7.6/10 (8,651 voted)

Director: Jessica Sharzer

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Michael Angarano, Robert John Burke

Storyline
The young adolescent Melinda Sordino arrives at high school feeling confused, depressed and alone. Her school peers call her "squealer", because she alerted the police during a summer party after she was sexually assaulted by Andy Evans. She refuses to tell anyone the events that took place. Her depression and distance from people is made worse by the increasingly large gap between her and her parents. She finds great support with her art teacher Mr. Freeman and her school friend David Petrakis. Her feelings threaten to engulf her but Melinda learns to grow from her experiences instead of repressing the past emotions that have scarred her for the rest of her life.

Writers: Laurie Halse Anderson, Jessica Sharzer

Cast:
Kristen Stewart - Melinda Sordino
Michael Angarano - Dave Petrakis
Robert John Burke - Mr. Neck
Hallee Hirsh - Rachel Bruin
Eric Lively - Andy Evans
Leslie Lyles - Hairwoman
Elizabeth Perkins - Joyce Sordino
Allison Siko - Heather
D.B. Sweeney - Jack Sordino
Steve Zahn - Mr. Freeman
Dick Hagerman - School bus driver
Remy Brommer - Todd (as A. Remy Brommer)
Grace Ameter - Emily
Tyanna Rolley - Nicole
Kimberly Kish - Ms. Keen

Taglines: The Truth Will Change Everything.

Release Date: 3 Jan 2004

Filming Locations: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $1,000,000 (estimated)

Runtime: 89 min

Trivia:
Cameo: [Annie Young] Medical student who Melinda follows off of the bus.

Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The movie came out in 2004, but the book it is based on came out in 1999. So the turn of the century for the book would be the 1900s. For her extra credit assignment, Melinda is told to write an essay on a cultural influence at the turn of the century. Yet the movie takes place at the turn of the 21st century, around 2003. It should have specified "turn of the last [20th] century." She decides to write about the suffragists of the 1910s.

Quotes:
Hairwoman: A revolutionary is only as good as his analysis. What does that mean?
[Melinda raises her hand]
Hairwoman: Melinda, better late than never. Why is a revolutionary only as good as his or her analysis?
Melinda Sordino: I think you should know what you stand for, not just what you're against. You should be able to show how things can be better.
Hairwoman: That's pretty darn good.

Not bad at all

Rating:

I just finished watching this film and decided that I should say something about it. Firstly, Wow! Kristen Stewart. There is an actress with a great future. An impressive performance. The support cast, which it must be remembered, play a fairly incidental role in this film, were adequate at allowing her to shine through. The Directing was solid. I didn't get lost, it wasn't all over the place.

Plotwise, I was quietly moved. I had seen this film on cable a couple of times before and just flicked passed it thinking it was just more "made for TV" crapola, but tonight I tuned in at the beginning and failed to channel surf away. I stuck with it till the end, and if anything, was sorry that it was over. It managed to suck me right into the story, I wanted to see where I was being taken.

It's not a bold film, even though it discusses a challenging topic. I was worried the Teen Angst Engine may kick in, and was glad to see it nowhere in sight. It was a film that left me thoughtful, and wanting to tell someone to give it a chance.... so... give it a chance, I thought it was worth it.

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