Adventures in Public School (Kyle Rideout, 2017): Canada

Reviewed by Brianna Franklin. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2018, Fiesta 5 Theater.

Director Kyle Rideout (Eadweard, Wait for Rain) has done something semi-impossible. He has managed to create a funny, charming and intimate look at a world that often gets a bad rap. Adventures in Public School is relatable like puberty while also being outlandish like love.

Daniel Doheny (HumanTown, Eggplant Emoji) plays Liam, an astronomy-obsessed, homeschooled teenager whose best friend is his mom, Claire, played by the ever-funny Judy Greer (13 Going on 30, Ant-Man). Liam is a Cambridge-bound senior about to test his way out of high school, until he sees a beautiful one-legged girl in the halls of the public school he is taking his test in. Liam purposefully fails the exam, and begs his mom for some time in his local high school. She concedes, and together (and separately) they go on the adventure of a lifetime.

Adventures in Public School is the perfect combination of a coming-of-age story and a coming-into-your-own-regardless-of-your-age story. Rideout shows how people are constantly changing, despite their age. Liam and Claire grow in their own ways. While this film is absolutely a comedy, Rideout manages to touch on the struggles of being a kid and an adult. Homeschooling is an often criticized practice, but this film manages to show the advantages, as well as the disadvantages of it. Nothing is black and white, and this piece is a reminder of that.

This film hits all the right spots, all the while remaining hilarious and charming. Adventures in Public School is completely brilliant and a must-see.


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