The Class

Jason (Charlie Gillespie), Jesse (Hannah Kepple), Casey (Lyric Ross) Michael (Michael Sebastian) and Max (Colin McCalla) play the kids kept in a class together because they failed a test. It’s not detention, per se. Miranda (Debbie Gibson) is the teacher who is trying to light a fire under these kids, but she is too upbeat, almost like a perky cheerleader, which doesn’t really fit the tenor of this class. Eventually, she explains why she is the way she is to the kids, but it comes too late in the film. 

Faulk, the school vice principal, sitting in on this session, is played by Anthony Michael Hall, who starred as a young teen in The Breakfast Club original film. Hall, now looks handsome and mature, but doesn’t project a believable  character. His body language is stiff and plays a very judgmental administrator, sitting back, reacting to the behavior of the kids. At times, the camera goes to a shot of his furrowed brow as a cutaway which awkwardly breaks the emotion of the scene.

This film does not flow. It is really a series of long scenes without adequate transition, taking too long to figure out what each kid is really going through.We appreciate some of the acting from the cast, but it is uncomfortable at times to watch these uneven performances, especially from Hall and Gibson. Even though there are moments of very genuine serious emotion, reactions from the other actors don’t always ring true. We rolled our eyes more than once.