NORTH HOLLYWOOD

US, 2021, 93 minutes, Colour.

Ryder McLaughlin, Vince Vaughn, Miranda Cosgrove.

Directed by Mikey Alfred.

The target audience for this film seems to be the range of actual characters in the film itself, senior high school students. The film would not be of particular interest to these characters once they turn 20, nor for any audiences over 20.

It is a comedy-drama, focusing on the high school teenager, played by Ryder McLaughlin, in many ways physically awkward, getting into fights and losing, but whose main ambition is to be a professional skateboard rider. The film has many scenes of skateboarding.

However, he seems to be a disappointment from his self-made father, severe, perhaps an enticement for an older audience because he is played by Vince Vaughn. There are many scenes of the father being demanding on the son, criticising his of juices and awkwardness.

There is a whole range of high school students, Miranda Cosgrove as a potential girlfriend, sympathetic, teachers, coaches.

Rather unusual is the emphasis on religion, a sequence in a church, with a mixum-gatherum of rituals of prayer, intercessions, communion, the hero distributing communion, especially to the girl, and a rather deadpan homily by the priest. The hero is one of the altar servers but is reaching the age when he has to give up for younger servers and he is unwilling. There is a scene of grace before meals, demanded by the father. And there is a scene at home where the hero actually praise. However, his fellow altar servers don’t give the impression that they have a religious thought in their heads!

Ultimately, there is some moralising, frank talks between father and son, the father’s regrets, lover’s son, the son feeling free to fulfil his dreams of skateboarding.

A film of quite limited appeal in topic and in treatment.