Crazy/Beautiful (2001) User Reviews (169)

Nicely crafted teen movie--for a change

[mattymatt4ever · 7/10 · 19 November 2001]

It's not often that we see a REAL teen movie nowadays. I live in Jersey City, so I personally can't relate to these teen flicks involving blonde airheads and guys who look like they just jumped off the pages of "Tiger Beat."

In "Crazy/Beautiful" one of the main characters is a Hispanic--played beautifully by Jay Hernandez who I hope to see in more and more movies--which I CAN relate to. Most of the friends I know are of Hispanic origin, and it's very rare that you see a Hispanic as a lead in a film like this. And Jay's Hispanic character wasn't used merely as a tool in creating melodrama in a preachy "West Side Story" manner.

Kirsten Dunst pretty much gives the best performance of her career. I like how they didn't put much makeup on her face, giving her a much more real look. I think Kirsten is one of the most beautiful young actresses in the biz, so I think she's beautiful no matter how little makeup she wears. So I'm not going to say it was a plus that they made her look "ugly." She didn't look ugly, but at the same time she looked like a real teenage girl and it added to her character.

Bruce Davison has a great supporting role as Kirsten's father. Of course, in all teen movies, they feel it's needed to add a top-class, veteran actor to the cast to give it a touch of class. Well, that's one cliche of teen movies that I don't mind and Bruce was great, proving himself as one of our great, underrated actors.

I like how Jay's character is never really discriminated against by Kirsten's white-collar Dad--who's a Congressman. None of this "You're dating a man of another race???" or "You're dating a man of low-class" crap. The film skips through all that, being that Jay is a well-to-do individual who has his head up high and wants to become a pilot. The Dad has nothing against that, in fact he wants to help him out, setting him up with an interview and everything. But he doesn't want him to see his daughter, because of the way she is. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't reveal what exactly her problem is. So I thought that was a good way of flipping this sub-genre on its head. Usually it's the father who doesn't want the daughter to date the guy, because he doesn't like who she's dating. In this case, he didn't want the two of them to go together, because he's concerned about the boyfriend.

I only have a few problems with this film. First off, you never really get the feeling that Kirsten has a severe problem between the beginning and end. So it feels like her disorder was used strictly as a dramatic tool. Through most of the film, she's amazingly jovial. We see her drinking once in a while, but let's face it--what teen doesn't? And I thought--especially for a PG-13 film--they went overboard with the sex scenes. I'm not saying that they were explicit, but there was a good deal of them. I was thinking, as watching certain portions of the film, what my Dad said: "The love in most romantic movies nowadays seems to be based more on sex than love." Don't get me wrong, we do get a feel of the love--not lust--between Jay and Kirsten, but they could've trimmed the sex just a bit. It just came off in the wrong way.

For those looking for an escape from most of the lame teen flicks that have been fed to us in previous years, I recommend you check this one out. It's a shame that this movie didn't reach a big audience in theaters. I really hope more people will go out and rent this film, because it's very good.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

Nicely made romantic teen movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 17 November 2005]

This is a great executed romantic teen movie. Even though nothing in the story of course happens as a real surprise, the movie still knows how to create a believable and touching story about love with more than enough original touches in it.

The main reason why the movie works so well is thanks to the two main actors of the movie; Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez. Both are great in their roles and their love story in the movie is believable and realistic. Their cultural difference are nicely shown in the movie but their social class difference is perhaps a bit underdeveloped and underused. They could had done some nice things with this story element, so it's a bit of a missed opportunity for the movie.

The story is nicely told and the stereotypical elements of a romantic teen movie are as much as possible avoided. It succeeds most of the time in this and because of that the movie is better than the average romantic teen comedy.

It's a perfectly watchable movie mainly targeted towards teens, however also different age groups should be able to appreciate this movie and its love story. A recommendable movie but by no means a must see of course.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Much like The Karate Kid caught a lot of people off-guard by its charm, likeability, and believability -- not the action aspect so much as the romance between Ralph Macchio and Elisabeth Shue -- crazy/beauti

[chrisbrown6453 · 6/10 · 18 July 2001]

The reason would be the two leads, Kirsten Dunst (Interview with the Vampire, Bring It On) and Jay Hernandez (only having done a handful of TV and small movie work). What looks like the set-up of a cliché-filled storyline on the outside -- high-schoolers Dunst as the troubled daughter of a U.S. Senator, and Hernandez as the intelligent inner-city kid meet up and fall in love -- takes on a fresh twist (and "fresh" is a good thing -- especially in film today). With the dialogue seeming mostly improvisational, the romance is impressively convincing. Dunst is already familiar to film audiences -- making great strides at a very young age with Vampire -- but this could arguably be her finest turn. You do feel something for her character, as screwed up as she can be. But even "screwed up" people need love, too, and you do want her to succeed. And good performances apparently rubbed off on Hernandez as well, giving sensational insight into a conflicted character torn between duty to family and education versus his love for Dunst. The story does take a turn for the... well... crazy near the end but recovers nicely -- and without being too preachy or schmaltzy. Don't expect greatness, but don't be shocked if you like it.

Wild rich white schoolgirl and much poorer Latino form a relationship. Great acting. Sensitively portrayed

[Steve-176 · 26 November 2001]

In Crazy Beautiful Kirsten Dunst (Interview With A Vampire, Bring It On) plays Nicole a rich girl at high school who befriends a first generation Mexican lad called Carlos (Jay Hernandez).

Nicole and Carlos hit it off in spite of Carlos's reservations about the wild (crazy/beautiful) Nicole. He's from a poor family and keen to do well at his studies. She's on a path of self destruction, at least academically, probably physically. Carlos hopes to go to the navy academy and become a pilot.

Now this sounds fairly ho hum but is brought successfully to the screen by very strong acting performances from both Dunst and Hernandez and also by Bruce Davison who plays Nicole's Dad Tom.

These characters are flawed and therefore interesting. The film is mindful of how complicated real people are.

Nicole is a carouser, drunk or stoned most of the time. Jay is level headed but becomes overwhelmed by Nicole. Dad certainly doesn't think he has all of the answers.

Crazy/Beautiful is inspired a little by the inter racial aspect of the relationship but much more by the veracity of the performances.

4 Crazy Flys Out Of Five

A Sensitive And Caring Drama

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 August 2009]

Crazy/Beautiful is a poignant teen film about a rich girl in Kirsten Dunst who's a behavioral problem to her father Bruce Davison and stepmother Lucinda Janney. When East LA Barrio kid Carlos Hernandez first meets her, she's doing community service picking up trash on the beach. They discover they go to the same school.

Hernandez is her total opposite. He's doing a two hour commute to her 90210 type high school he can reap the advantages thereof. He's a hardworking student and top football player and he wants to go to Annapolis. Oh by the way, when Hernandez meets Davison, she's forgotten to tell him that daddy is a Congressman.

Davison is a liberal sort so the racial thing doesn't terribly bother him. But he thinks Hernandez will screw himself up if he gets involved with Dunst. God knows she's doing a wonderful job of that in her family relationships.

This was to be a big breakout role for Hernandez who was fresh from the TNBC morning show Hang Time. If he hasn't had quite the career a lot including myself expected of him, not the fault of this film because he and Dunst are a very attractive couple. Crazy/Beautiful is a sensitive and caring drama, a good film for the younger audience.

Great chemistry...

[pri_e · 7/10 · 21 November 2001]

I thought that Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez had great chemistry, you really felt like you were seeing all the aspects of their relationship. I'm glad though that the character Nicole didn't completely change her outlook in life and that Carlos didn't change his goals. Life isn't perfect and sometimes you have to go crazy in order to see the beauty of life. I thought it was a great storyline and it didn't embark too much on the race issue which is completely overdone now!!

One of the few teen films this summer to have some guts

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 1 July 2001]

Crazy/Beautiful stars Kirten Dunst as a troubled and crazy girl who will often do what she likes, to some people's dismay, one being her father (Bruce Davison) who is a good man, but doesn't know how to handle her daughter.

Enter Jay Hernandez, as a Mexican-American kid who is also basically good, he gets good grades, hangs out with his friends and doesn't try and get into trouble (sort of like Cheech before he met Chong). But then he meets this girl, and the two fall in love, with ease and time though, which is realistic for a teen movie.

I like that, plus that finally Dunst has tried to grow up a little with her roles as she takes a romantic drama on her hands. She does it very nicely, with Hernandez also being a good boyfriend. It is actually a worthy teen romantic/drama. However, and I wish I didn't have to bring up this again, but how many times do I have to see a teen movie, or any type of movie in general, where the only reason it's rated PG-13 is not because of the artistci stance, but because the studio wants more money with a PG-13 movie. I can think of Crazy/Beautiful as a rated R movie and having even more guts, realism, and more and it would make this a excellent movie, but no, kids have to get the chance to see teens that get drunk and drive and all that. I mean, think of it this way, the only 2 Dunst movies that are really known AND are rated R movies arew The Virgin Suicides (ala Coppolla magic) and Interview with the Vampire. Hopefully someday Hollywood will realize that rated R movies might be better that PG-13 movies and that just upping the sales for the movie won't matter.

I won't keep my hopes up. B+

Some Different Takes on the Romeo and Crazy Juliet Teen Movie

[noralee · 6/10 · 12 December 2005]

"crazy/beautiful" is the first teen romance I've seen, since, well, since the last Kirsten Dunst movie. I used to go to a lot of teen flicks, but they were getting so bad even I couldn't stoop to ogle that much.

The writers clearly saw "Mad Love" and said "We can do better than that." And they do. They follow a very similar story line and add a non-stereotypical Latino twist for a different take on Romeo and Crazy Juliet.

Bruce Davison also helps as a believable father, even if the step-mother is the usual Yuppie trophy wife.

While the ending isn't entirely believable, it is satisfying for a movie.

The constant music selections, including several that the characters sing along with, are not the usual Top 40, with several by groups I hadn't even heard of; though I was 100% sure I heard David Gray in one scene but his song wasn't listed in the credits.

(originally written 7/13/2001)

Surprised me

[rjc739 · 8/10 · 3 January 2005]

I caught five minutes of this then decided to watch more of it and I was pleasantly surprised at what a superb actress Kirsten Dunst is! She is so natural and at ease in front of a camera. The chemistry between her and the boyfriend is the best you will ever see and that's why I watched this movie. I felt like I was eavesdropping in on two young teenagers throughout the whole movie. The story is very simple and just chronicles the life of these two high-schoolers who fall in love by pure chance (the romance is instigated by Dunst and she does a great job). I think everyone will be able to relate to the characters and story in this movie. These are real-life characters and they are not overly stereotyped which was surprising, as well. The leading actor did a fantastic job, too. There is zero shock value thrown into this movie to try and put you on the edge of your seat which is something you don't find in Hollywood movies and which was really nice. Mostly every scene involves Kirsten and her boyfriend and they pull it off. There aren't many actors that can say that they can do that. This movie is entertaining throughout and will keep your attention. Already I like Kirsten more than I ever liked Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, Daryl Hannah, Winona Ryder, Chistine Ricci, Catherine Zeta Jones, Kate Winslet, Sharon Stone, or any of these younger female celebrities. The direction in this movie is very good. If you want a real nice relaxing evening and you don't want to watch something with a lot of hype, drama, violence, stereotypes, people pitting each other against one another, etc. then I recommend this movie. I will definitely look for more of Kirsten in the future.

Very impressed - go Kirsten!

[Ben_Cheshire · 7/10 · 1 October 2003]

Kirsten Dunst gets a guernsey for her performance in this stylish film about teenage romance - a film which achieves the difficult task of making us look afresh at that so trodden topic. This is not the usual hollywood thoroughfare. Music and visuals fantastic - Kirsten is at the same time sexy and realistically flawed.

Watch out for the stepmother - i had a giggle about it: she can't act!

4 stars.

Fatally flawed ending

[icgsinc · 3/10 · 25 April 2008]

Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of an out-of-control early-stage alcoholic/other-drug addict is decent in terms of behaviors. In classic fashion, she blames everyone else for all her problems, is completely irresponsible and turns on a dime against those who are out of favor (her doting dad, for example).

The portrayal of enabling isn't bad either. Good boy falls in love with exciting addict. However, in the real world he would have enabled her to her grave. In the absence of the boyfriend, her completely unaware father would have insured she died from her disease. The key problem with the ending--which ruins the movie for the addiction-aware--is that she doesn't die OR get sober. In terms of pure fantasy, the movie ranks with "The Thin Man" series, in which caring, considerate and competent alcoholic PI Nick Charles is never nasty--yeah, right--and "Lost Weekend," in which writer Don Birnam easily gets sober at the end. Sorry, that just doesn't happen.

While the movie clearly shows that an excellent upbringing is no impediment to alcoholism, it implies that poor behaviors cause alcoholic drinking. As I have written in four books on the subject and repeatedly point out in my free on-line addiction report, this is one of the great myths of addiction that serves only to perpetuate the disease. The movie's ending can easily cause the uninitiated to believe that "love" and "working" with the addict gets her sober. Every recovering addict alive with at least five years' sobriety will admit that what got them sober was uncompromising tough love and that getting sober was essential for a return to civilized behaviors.

If the movie had shown Kirsten's character going into rehab and coming out clean, I might have rated the movie a five. But that would have required either dad or nice boyfriend setting proper boundaries and offering uncompromising tough love--in which case I might have rated the movie a seven. Sorry, but all those comments about "realistic portrayal," "slight substance abuse problem," "what teen doesn't drink?" and "the talk between dad and daughter at the end of the movie is utterly believable" are written by viewers who don't have a clue about addiction. And because of a fatally flawed ending, "Crazy/Beautiful" fails to shed light on the most destructive disease known to man.

What teen movies should be...

[Contacted · 9/10 · 1 July 2001]

For a long while now Ive been bombarded with teen movies that are crap. Written by people who forgot what it was like, less mature than teenagers themselves. Ive been waiting for a movie that was took itself seriously without being pretentious. That was mature and REAL. This is such a find. This movie is consistently good. Dialogue, Music, Acting, especially the cinematography and directing which just made the movie. It doesnt struggle to be hip or witty, theres no B.S.

The story isn`t complicated but it works. It`s just about the love between two people, how it affects the both of them and the journey which Kirsten Dunst`s character goes through. If your tired of the mindless repetitive teen crap, see this movie and appreciate it.

Well done and well acted but something was missing.

[triple8 · 6/10 · 3 April 2005]

Spoilers throughout this post:

There are a million teen romance movies out there and even though I'm well past my teen years, that is a genre of movie I really like. I wasn't that into this one though. Crazy Beautiful was a movie that I thought I'd like a lot more then I did, although I concede it was a very well made movie in a lot of ways.

The advantage it has over other teen movies is the characters. They are well developed and real to the point you feel like you've met them. I really enjoyed that element and for That alone I'd give it at least a 6. Many of these types of movies feel so contrived. This one Didn't. There really weren't many false notes here, and Dunst plays the tough/fragile Nicki as so real, human and lovable that it's easy to get caught up and want everything to come out OK.

Despite all that, I didn't like this all that much. One reason is that the movie, while sometimes focused on dialog and character development also seemed way to focused on Kirsten Dunst's feet, her stomach and her kissing scenes with Jay Hernandez. And I didn't feel that these two incredibly talented, REALLY talented performers, Dunst and Hernandez-Had ANY chemistry together. The movie seemed enthralled with them to the point where almost nothing was left to the imagination. Every kiss, every (allowable to be shown) body part, every toe and foot....was focused on. I mean the movie sometimes seemed to be more concerned with showing them as a couple then the plot itself and I started to lose interest after awhile. The chemistry factor was way down and very little was left to subtlety and the imagination.

I also frankly was at times a little bored. While the people were relateable, the movie didn't reach out and grab me, though Nicole-particularly the relationship Between Nicole and her father, did.

And that brings me to the best scene in the movie. The one between Nicole and her dad at the end where they talk and begin to repair their relationship. That was moving, powerful and completely and utterly believable. At that point the movie was pure perfection and I cried my eyes out! Nicole and her father's relationship had been developed enough that this was completely credible. That scene was a perfect 10.

So crazy beautiful had it's positives and negatives like most movies. Although I probably would not watch it again and think I probably would have enjoyed it more at another time in my life, I'm glad I got to see it and the performances were all great. My vote is 6 of 10.

An emotionally troubled young woman falls in love.

[ruthierocks · 4/10 · 14 May 2004]

Kirsten Dunst stars in this weak teen drama as Nicole, a young woman with a troubling relationship with her father and stepmother. Nicole meets Carlos (Jay Hernandez), a serious student. After they start spending time together, Carlos somewhat loses sight of his priorities. He stops hanging around his friends, his grades drop, and he wants more independence from his mother. Nicole has some problems. She drinks, parties, and does drugs, but soon Carlos begins to see that he's falling in love with Nicole. In order to get in good with her father, an important businessman, he has to stop hanging around her. Now he has to decide what to do.

The movie is so-so. The characters don't develop enough before developing a relationship. Nicole's character could be portrayed has more trouble, which would make the movie more believable. I also doubt Carlos would give up his life so quickly to a girl he'd just met, that he knew had some problems. The movie could be so much better, but it was filmed beautifully and the actors did fine with what they were given. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but a lot of people would like it.

4/10

Fairly good teen drama.

[Blueghost · 29 June 2003]

I saw one promo for this film some time after I saw "Bring it On," and thought it was another Kirsten Dunst comedy.

I was wrong, but pleasantly dissapointed. The thing about teenage movies is that the really good ones don't placate exclusively to the age bracket of which the film is about. "Crazy/Beautiful" focuses on the teenagers, but shows the flavors of the leads' respective cultures, and how they are able to combine both their intellect and emotions to overcome some very superficial barriers, which create profound rifts among human society.

The overall theme vascillates by placing the ball into each of the leads court at various points in the film. This makes for some interesting interaction which, in the real world, I've personally observed. On this score the film is rather accurate.

The film gets a touch melodramatic at points, and there's no one actor to really single out as all the leads have their moment of high energy at various points in the film.

The film itself, because of the subject material, is somewhat lethargic, but does keep one's interest in its presentation.

A definate thumbs up for a night's rental.

I really wanted to give this a higher rating than 7, but I can't

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 2 July 2001]

Straight A Latino Carlos (Jay Hernandez) falls for wild Nicole (Kristen Dunst). She's not good for him, but they're both in love.

Totally predictable but entertaining. The writing is good and the direction is OK. Unfortunately, the film plays it way too safe. Nicole's character isn't as destructive or wild as she could be and, while there is sex, there is no nudity. There were a lot of grumblings that director Stockwell was pushing for an R--he wanted explicit sex and to make Nicole wilder. Naturally, the studio pushed for a more marketable PG-13. That's a real shame, because Dunst and Hernandez are both VERY attractive (they do look good in their underwear) and extremely good actors. Heck, I'd have no problem seeing either one nude! But the studio backed down--stupid censors! So we're left with a very predictable outing, but entertaining with two great performances. My only complaint--it's very obvious that Dunst and Hernandez are way over high school age (he's 23, she's 20--I think). There is good strong support by Bruce Davison as Nicole's understanding father. So, it's good but it could have been so much better. When will the studios back off and let directors film what they want to?

Good, not great

[Steven Reynolds · 6/10 · 28 November 2001]

Like an irritating string of sing-along music videos for much of its first 45 minutes, this film recovers just enough in its second half to pass muster as a member of that rarest of Hollywood species: a well-intentioned teen film with something interesting to say. The girl-meets-boy-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks cliché is cannily inverted here, with poor little rich girl (Kirsten Dunst) threatening to ruin the life of her hardworking and motivated Latino beau (Jay Hernandez). Will she drag him down with her, or will her life be redeemed through his love? Once it poses that question, the story takes off and the subsequent plot shifts keep you guessing. There's a really great film to be made out of this kind of material, but 'Crazy/Beautiful' isn't it. It's still good, but what lets it down is its style. A slightly more gritty, documentary-like approach might have made it feel more real. Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) and Gary Oldman (Nil By Mouth) have both shown it's possible to make gritty films about realistic characters which still have something delicate, subtle and emotional at the core.

A girl has got to do... what a girl has got to do!

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 25 September 2002]

At first you may think this film is all fluff, guess again. Sure there is fun and frolic, but also agony, heartbreak and emotional rescue. Nicole(Kirsten Dunst)still mourns her mother's death; dislikes her step-mother and feels estranged from her father, Senator Tom Oakley(Bruce Davison). Nicole is rich, wild and reckless cavorting shamelessly with her best friend Maddy(Taryn Manning). Nicole falls in love with a straight laced Latino Carlos(Jay Hernandez)resulting in a clash of cultures and ethics. Dunst is flawless in this role. She is charming and very seductive. Of course I enjoyed the seduction scene in her bedroom; but I also liked the scene where Nicole and her father try to make amends. More than just a "chick flick". Give it a chance.

Dunst is Beautuful but I am not crazy to recommend it

[meeza · 6/10 · 2 January 2002]

Crazy- those critics that called `Crazy/Beautiful' one of the best films of the year Beautiful- Kirsten Dunst's performance as a confused and drug-addicted teenager who falls for an intelligent latino played by Jay Hernandez Crazy- people that actually wasted eight dollars to watch this very formulaic movie at the theatre instead of waiting for it to come out on dvd or simply watching it from their illegal satellite box Beautiful- some of the very scenic cinematography Crazy- Kirsten Dunst's character Beautiful- Kirsten Dunst

It will not be too crazy for you to check out this film but do not think it will be all that beautiful. *** Average

Excellent!!! A cut above, WAY above, most other "teen" movies!

[bopdog · 10/10 · 5 March 2002]

"Crazy/beautiful" is a wonderful movie. It is really far better than most teen movies. When I saw the trailers and TV spots for the movie last year, I was unimpressed. The impression I got was that the movie was another one of those teen jobs wherein the director and the actors all take themselves WAY too seriously! Kind of like a Charlie Sheen movie, back when he was having all those ego problems. (Sheen is much recovered, and much over himself now. He's a charming fellow these days, and a great talent.)

I bought the DVD the other day, and am very happy that I did. I should have trusted that a talent such as Kirsten Dunst would not have placed herself in tripe. Sorry! This movie is thoughtfully written, sensitively acted, and very well directed and cut. I am not a teenager anymore (far away from it, in fact), so I am not impressed by hipness, hormonal chic, nor teen cool. Thus I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that "crazy/beautiful" is rich, touching, engaging, moving, uplifting, and extremely entertaining. Yaay!

Hey Buena Vista marketing people--- please note that the movie you seemed to have presented via your trailers and such last year looked like crap! And yet the real movie, the one Kirsten and Whatshisname made, is sweet and marvelous!!! I know you marketing folks meant well, and all marketing is some form of experiment, but perhaps you can learn from this that the audiences needn't be sold cliched garbage to go see a film. In fact, the apparent cliches presented in the trailers kept me away. Thank goodness for DVD!

Finally--- the DVD is also great. The "making of" segment is amazing, and worthy of it's own venue. The director's commentary with Dunst is also intriguing. It all adds to our enjoyment of the movie. Thanks, guys!

Nicole: The End

[great_sphinx_42 · 7/10 · 16 November 2001]

"crazy/beautiful" is among the most frustrating films of 2001. There are two ostensible reasons why this is so, both of which are partially true. One is that a family-friendly studio had one too many fingers in the director's rather daring pie. "crazy/beautiful" is among the most noted victims of the push for PG-13 ratings. If the director's dark R-rated original vision had been allowed to stand, then perhaps the entire thing would work better. The other reason is most obvious and less a matter of speculation. Most of the ingredients were second rate from the get-go and the acting so accentuates those weaknesses that they seem far worse than they would if all aspects of the film were equally bad. You want the whole movie to be worthy of the transcendent Kirsten Dunst, whose performance as Nicole seethes with raw, adolescent power. You want it to be worthy of Jay Hernandez's quiet, conflicted grace as Carlos. You want it to be worthy of Bruce Davidson's lovely if slightly confused humanity as Nicole's congressman dad. But it is not worthy of them. Few movies would be. As it stands, they elevate a movie otherwise is so cliched and standard that you wish you could lift them out of it and put them in one that does them justice.

The movie's major problems are these: the voice-overs at the beginning and end could have been dumped entirely. The characterizations of everyone but the main three and Nicole's best friend (who also gives a terrific performance and is shamefully abandoned two-thirds of the way in) could have been miles better. The plot could have been more original. The relationships between the characters could have been more clearly drawn. The ending needs to be redone almost entirely; "the talk" could stay but things aren't resolved so easily. The ending comes too quickly and feels like a cheat not worthy of the emotions the performances have evoked. An entirely different and unhappy ending would undoubtedly be more powerful, but I don't know if my heart could have taken it.

The movie's primary strength, and I cannot stress this enough, is the acting. Great as Davidson and Hernandez are, though, it is Dunst who truly breathes as her character. Kirsten gives a performance I do not hesitate to call worthy of an Oscar nomination. The finest work yet of this young actress's already remarkable career, it bodes very well for her future. She has incidental gifts- her beauty, lithe body and youth- but she is one actress with which you can dismiss those in favor of her primary one, which is acting. Not looking like a glossy Xerox of a human being on-screen, but acting. She is a young, thin, pretty, blond actress who can force people that automatically dismiss all young, thin, pretty, blond actresses to admit that she is talented. Here, buried underneath wane skin, dirty hair and a lost smile, she is complex and heart-breaking. Here, in a movie that treats teenagers as the complex people they are, I wanted to see and know more about her. I wanted the movie, despite its flaws, to be two hours long so that I could.

I've heard it suggested that "crazy/beautiful" is a pale imitation of a handful of movies, like Larry Clark's "Bully" (which also features some powerful performances by young actors), that strive to show adolescents as they truly are in the face of the sparkly barrage of teen flicks. I don't believe this is so. Very few kids are murderers or rapists of big-time drug addicts. Those are the extreme cases. The biggest tragedies of youth are relatively quiet ones, the kids who can be saved and sometimes aren't. Kids like Nicole- and we all know kids like her.

crazy/beautiful

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 13 September 2009]

From director John Stockwell (Blue Crush), I didn't think this film was completely predictable, but it certainly had quite a clichés, but it is still viewable. Basically troubled and wealthy 17-year-old Nicole Oakley (Kirsten Dunst) always breaks rules, and she meets grade-A student Carlos Nuñez (Jay Hernandez) who has big dreams. They are first innocently flirting, but they quickly develop a passionate love, only to be spoilt by Nicole's self-destructive behaviour and Carlos's future in jeopardy. Even with the objection by their families, they do eventually get back together for a relatively happy ending. Also starring Bruce Davison as Tom Oakley, Herman Osorio as Luis, Miguel Castro as Eddie, Tommy De La Cruz as Victor, Soledad St. Hilaire as Mrs. Nunez, Lucinda Jenney as Courtney Oakley and Taryn Manning as Maddy. Dunst really proves herself as a good young actress, it has a good soundtrack, and the story has some interesting moments, this is certainly one to try, a good teenage romantic drama. Worth watching!

Kirsten Dunst

[highmanblueberrycodein · 10/10 · 10 July 2006]

All of Kirsten Dunst's movies I am impressed with.She has a good eye for good rolls and I enjoy every movie that she has been in.this is one that is right up there with The Virgin Suicides for me.Crazy/Beautiful was so wonderfully off-beat and laid back for me it made me see California in a totally different way then total L.A. and Hollywood.

I love Kirsten's character Nicole Oakley the to-fast-for-life 17 year old who is struggling with a relationship with her father and trying to forget about her mothers suicide.until she meets Carlos Nunez.a fellow student at Pacific High School.her and Carlos Become closer and have a very serious and deep relationship until Nicole's father Tom Oakley urges Carlos to stay away from Nicole if he wants him to sign his recommendation for Annapolis's.

Nicoles friend Maddie (played by Taryn Manning) is a comfort to Nicole and so is her alcohol,drug,and party addiction as she tries to cop with the loss of Carlos.until Carlos realizes he wants to be with Nicole more than going to Annapolis's.the two run away until Nicole decides she wants to make things right so the two return and Nicoles father thanks Carlos for not taking his advise and staying with Nicole.

a very beautiful movie You'll want to watch more then once with lovable Characters and good morals.

Kirsten is so sexy!

[Minsky95 · 7/10 · 22 April 2002]

I was pretty impressed at this movie. It wasn't your typical High School movie. It went deeper into the personalities of the two actors. I liked how the director went into the character's lives and showed how they were raised differently. I really liked the scenes with her in her underwear(sorry, I really love Kirsten)! She did really well portraying a bad girl. This movie touches on many issues like interacial dating and not getting along with your parents. I would watch this movie again. It's worth the time to watch it.

Bland

[Antagonisten · 4/10 · 29 July 2006]

I caught this movie on TV a while back when there was absolutely nothing else to watch. Since i'm not a fan of neither teen-movies nor Kirsten Dunst expectations weren't high.

The problem with a movie like this one is not that it's awful, because it's not. I can name probably ten other teen movies that are more horrible than this one. Especially since here the emotional drivel didn't reach the sappy levels the story and theme allowed for, which was good. But still this is not a good movie. It's just too bland and uninteresting. I don't really know what in this movie we were supposed to care about. The distracted A-student from the hood is not a terribly interesting character (also a character that's been done about a thousand times in different shapes and colors). The spoiled rich girl with emotional problems is an equally worn-out cliché. It just doesn't have anything that creates interest or sympathy.

Sometimes i ask myself which is worse; the movie that is so bad that i hate it, or the movie that's so bland i don't care. A difficult question. One thing is certain anyway, this movie is one that i won't remember at all this time next year.