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

Reviewed by Hollyn Heron. Viewed at Santa Barbara International Film Festival


This hilarious adventure about home-schooled Liam experiencing public school for the first time, is a great film for every member of the family. Directed by Kyle Rideout (Hop the Twig, Wait for Rain), and written by Rideout and his longtime friend Josh Epstein (Eadweard, Wait for Rain), Adventures in Public School is an amusing spin on a mother-son relationship, and how they deal with growing up. Starring Judy Greer (Arrested Development, War for the Planet of the Apes) and Daniel Doheny (Supernatural) as the charismatic duo, whose chemistry together adds extra spark to the comedic punchlines.

Single mom Claire (Greer) has been homeschooling her son, Liam (Doheny) his whole life, and has done an exceptional job. She’s taught him everything, and has tried to give him the best experiences in growing up, including having a prom together at their house. Planning to attend Cambridge University, Liam just has to pass his high school equivalency exam and then he’s all set. But when he goes to the local high school to take his test, and his eye is caught by a one-legged, extremely attractive girl, Anastasia (Siobhan Williams), Liam purposely fails his test, and suggest to his mom, much to her horror, that he wants to try public school for a semester.

With the help of classmate Wes (Alex Barima), who insists that they are not friends, Liam starts to learn the ins and outs of high school, all while silently trying to win the heart of Anastasia. Claire sees his interest in public school as a way to rebel, and being the good mother that she is, she is also determined to help him.  She goes above and beyond her rebelling lessons, from teaching him how to swear properly, to giving him his first joint. The great part about these sequences is that Liam considers his mom his best friend, so her lessons are met with enthusiasm, though he does get a little skeptic that she’s luring him into a trap when she whips out the joint.

But the closer to Anastasia Liam gets, and the more involved into school he becomes, the more perturbed Claire gets. Adamant to stay in his life as his best friend, Claire keeps insisting on being a part of his teenage antics, with comical results.

As usual, Judy Greer delivers a witty performance as the over-clingy, yet loving mother. Even when it seems like she is smother Liam, she is still a lovable character. And Daniel Doheny does an exceptional job as Liam, especially considering that prior to filming Adventures in Public School, he had only done stage acting. He plays the quirky, nerdy fish-out-of-water perfectly, and his ability to play off of Greer’s character, makes this film incredibly funny and relatable.

 

 

 


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