The minute the closing credits of Bang Bang You’re Dead rolled on screen, I knew it was something that would stay with me forever. I was also thankful what occurred in the movie didn’t happen to me.
Trevor Adams (Ben Foster) is a model student who turns into a troubled teenager because of persistent bullying. But he isn’t really bad. He sees his friend and co-actor in a play, Jenny Dahlquist (Jane McGregor) to resolve the issue.
Jenny understands Trevor and helps him overcome his sadness and dejection. Meantime, Mr. Duncan (Tom Cavanagh) a caring drama teacher wanting to salvage him from his situation, offers Trevor a part in a play entitled Bang Bang You’re Dead. However, when the school and the community discover that the drama is about violence, guns and student killers, the play – including Trevor, was in complete jeopardy. What’s worse is that even at home, Trevor has no one to turn to.
His parents don’t see him and they’re ashamed of Trevor. Wanting to regain his reputation, which his tormentors destroyed, Trevor threatens to bomb the school.
But all he could do is make prank calls. As he himself tells friends, he couldn’t do that kind of thing. After making a disturbing video assignment for Mr. Duncan, the police picks Trevor up and turns him over for interrogation. The video he made showed the gun which was used to kill a football jock.
I can’t help but smile a little when the cops asked Trevor why he brings his camera to school daily and when he answers, "The same reason why you bring a gun to work, to shoot people."
After they all watch a video, Trevor made (the police search his tapes at home and in school) that showed the daily happenings in the school hallways and cafeteria , the bullies are called in. They are punished for dunking people’s heads in toilets, slamming kids against the locker and other cruel acts as seen in the video.
This is one of the best scenes for me, as it is here where everyone in the room, including Trevor’s parents, the policemen and the school principal finally realize how difficult things are for him.
Parents, can you imagine watching your son forced into licking the toilet or getting dumped into the cafeteria’s trash can? That would really hurt, won’t it?
The next day, Trevor meets up with his three bitter and resentful friends. He finds support and attention from them. Together, they plan a school killing with Trevor video recording it and telling their stories in the news the next day. The planned video will show them saying goodbye to their parents.
However, the plan doesn’t push through. Minutes before they make the video, Mr. Duncan is told about the project. Alarmed, he runs to the three friends’ rescue.
In the end, Trevor shows that he’s not really a troublesome and devious guy, but just a boy turned bad because of the label people rudely bestow on him.
Depression is one of the major points in the film, something that many teenagers are facing. Some are hit harder than others.
Trevor, for instance, wanted to hang himself after going through another miserable day. Luckily, his plan didn’t push through.
Bang You’re Dead is something everyone should watch as it’s a significant eye-opener into what really occurs in school. This movie doesn’t pinpoint who’s to blame for school violence, as everybody at some stage is to blame.
It explains why things like these happen. And this happens because of the people around these students: uninvolved parents, a merciless community. Everyone is accountable.
School killings are not that rampant in our country unlike in other places. But what’s good about this movie is that it tells us how weak and dangerous teenagers can be. This movie gives people the chance to look into the actual world of high school and shows that it’s not all about pep rallies, school dances, hot football jocks and happy memories.
Bang Bang You’re Dead shows how high school could also be the best place to see the downfall of a young person’s dream.
On a more personal note, Bang Bang You’re Dead impressed me because it opened my eyes to the reality that life-especially for teenagers, will not always work the way they want to it to be.
When things don’t go our way, we must not even think about committing suicide or lashing back at our tormentors. Being teenagers, there will always be complications, demonic figures trying to steer our paths, deceptive information everywhere and confusing conclusions along the way.
This movie has taught me to take a second look at people ,or to be more precise – teenagers. Maybe, they’re not really what they seem to be. Perhaps, they’re just like Trevor, a regular student succumbing to the evils of high school life.