(rated PG-13, 95 mins.) Two high school students Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) and Carlos (Jay Hernandez), fall in love while she’s on beach cleaning assignment for community service. He’s poor from inner city L. A. She’s rich and the daughter of a congressman. He’s scholastic minded, she’s a party animal. He’s working toward a future at the naval academy, she’s a flunky working toward her next pink slip. He works hard to be what she could be very easily. And, that’s what the story is all about. She’s crazy. He’s beautiful. For anyone who’s ever dealt with a problem teen or plain old teen and for anyone who’s ever been one, this movie pushes aside any teenage fluff and cuts to the chase. Nicole’s dad (Bruce Davison) does an excellent portrayal of the angst a parent feels for the child that they love. Dunst is right on dopey as the teen that manages to almost side-step her role for the real underdog hero, Herandez.
