The Chumscrubber (2005)

I'd never heard of this film until watching it today, & what a shame that is! The title may have been off-putting to mass-distribution, but it's a clever metaphor for the allegory of oblivious parents in a sunny, picture-perfect California suburb. The children of these parents are completely jaded & disconnected; the parents, who skim the surface of their daily routines, have no idea who their children are or what they do---& therein lies the clincher. The plot unfolds after a pivotal event shakes up the balance of suburbia.

The satire is sharp, well-written, & a perfect foil for our modern society. This is "Leave it to Beaver" meets "Halloween" in some ways; suburbia is not what it appears, & danger is lurking in every sunny, well-planned street. The parents, in my opinion, have the same kind of moral disconnect---leaving no moral impressions upon their children for them to learn & grow with---that one imagines could happen with those who "act out" as the Columbine killers or the Virginia Tech killer did...No one paid any attention; no one had the depth to care & notice that something was terribly amiss. Everyone is so busy with "activities" that no one has any awareness.

This is a great little gem of a movie that is well worth your time---don't miss it!

Fmovies: I was expecting not to relate well to this film, even though I wanted to like it as our son was the director of photography. I had heard that it was similar to American Beauty which I liked but I didn't need another film about dysfunctional middle and upper class families living in suburbia.I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw it on Tuesday night, July 26th in Portland at a screening. The script is incredibly creative and not at all like American Beauty. It is unfair to compare the two films. In addition, the acting, the directing, and of course, the cinematography are superb as is the music. There is humor to break the tension. The film, itself, keeps one wide awake and waiting to see what will happen to each of the characters. I was not at all disappointed and plan to see it again as I believe there are layers in this film that one will catch in repeated viewings. It is hard to tell anyone what this film is about as it doesn't fit any particular genre, but don't miss it as I think this is the kind of film that people will be talking about for a long time.

This movie really impressed me by how realistically it treated teenagers and their capabilities. A lot of movies regard teens as immature or ignorant of "grown up" problems, but we aren't. Age doesn't dictate maturity or knowledge, it's just the amount of time you've lived on earth. Another thing that I really enjoyed was seeing parents' mistakes blown up instead. It's crazy to think about, but a lot of homes really are like that and I think it's horrible. The Chumscrubber was amazing in that it accented real problems with today's society openly, without buffers to appease the audience. The director had a message, and he said it, without reference to anyone else, or to how well the movie would do. I find that kind of honesty in a movie refreshing. Plus, the movie was brilliant anyways.

The Chumscrubber fmovies. If you are a fan of Independent American Cinema then this film is a must as it is a beautiful and clever criticism of modern suburban (American) life and its effect on the family structure. It has themes of social alienation, which are pre-eminent, as are the themes of artificial happiness and self absorption. Many of the performances are top drawer as are the unexpected cameos and all of these aspects culminate to a cult dark comedy.

Some will be pre-emptive as the film is about drugs, teenagers, high school, bullying and well-worn characters with a cool soundtrack thrown in for good measure. Yet through utilising some inventiveness the film re-tells the clichés of the classic dramatic traditions of tragedy and comedy via a funeral and a wedding and rewards the viewer with the questioning and re-evaluation of such tragedy and comedy.

There are two kinds of independent movies, those that belongs to the first one passes unnoticed for most moviegoers. They are playing mostly in art houses and patiently waiting for you in video stores. At the same time, movies from the second and much smaller group for some reason (which is hardly explainable sometimes) get all possible attention and sometimes they can replace mainstream production in theaters.

Chumscrubber, which obviously belongs to the first group, is a rather unique and courageous satirical attempt of showing on the surface quiet and peaceful life of suburbia and middle class people there. Welcome to Hillside, a town where all people know each other and at the same time, no one of them cares much about others. But, the unexpected event brings some changes to a monotonous life of the town.

Dean Stiffle's best friend Troy, a teenager who supplied drugs to a local high school commits a suicide and a company of school tough guys believe that Dean knows where to find Troy's store. After the school, they kidnap Dean's brother Charlie but they make mistake and take a wrong Charley, thirteen years old Charlie Bratley. It's not completely a kidnapping; for some of them it looks just like a funny game and even for Charlie himself, big boys and a pretty girl at least for the first time is a funny company and amusing experience he have never had before. Dean gets a threatening call but to his surprise and relief, he sees his brother playing video games in a neighboring room. He expectedly gives "I don't care" answer and mistake soon will be revealed. Day passes but no one from adults don't see what's going on. They are totally absorbed in planning their personal lives and making own careers and unable to see anything above that. The only subject for Dean's father is his books on psychology, which he is trying to use on his son while his mother is elsewhere trying to sell some herbal medicine. They don't see that the family is falling apart and then his brother Charlie found a way to escape reality in video games, Dean, who is one of very few relatively normal teenagers, become an outcast among his schoolmates and withdraw into himself. Troy's mother spends all the time telling her neighbors that she doesn't blame them for her son's death. Divorced Charlie Bratley's mother for a long time has been planning her wedding with city's major, who becomes obsessed with a strange visions and ideas. She doesn't even notice his son's disappearance and talking to him through a closed door. Billy who is the head of the company and its inspirer bring Charlie to his home but his parents also don't see anything special. "It's for school" is a perfect answer that assures everyone that everything is on its tracks and in order. Even a direct truth is taking as a joke. The children are completely left on their own and soon Dean realizes that nobody's noticed that a kid is not home for a long time and he's the only one who could do anything to resolve a conflict even if it is no concern of him.

The movie cast unites too many famous actors for a small budgeted indie movie. The adult actors always have good performances of their satirical characters, but they are mostly the background of the story, where the main stars are young actors and their characters. Jamie Bell (mainly known for his first role in Billy Elliot) who is playing the main young character is excellent and his ability of creating required accent deserves th

Suburbia pops up on the screen, one house at a time, and it's the most beautiful and peaceful neighborhood you've ever seenÂ… until five minutes later when Dean (Jamie Bell) walks into a room and finds his best friend's dead body hanging by a rope. Chumscrubber writer/director Arie Posin's illustration of suburbia and alienation is as heart breaking as it is hilarious. Kids bury emotion under Prozac, Zantacs, Ritalin, and any other "happiness pills" they can find, while their parents drown their sorrows in one glass of wine after another. In this surreal depiction of life in the 'burbs, every individual is completely self-absorbed and numb to the outside world. A child is kidnapped and his parents never even realize it! So why did I laugh so much? Because every moment of Chumscrubber is either painfully shocking or absurdly hilarious. Posin has created a world where people are completely consumed with drugs, appearances, and "top-tier schools," and the brilliance of it is that he actually makes you want to go back and visit again. And the soundtrack (Placebo, Snow Patrol, The Like) kicks ass!!!