Synopsis
A quirky teen with a penchant for war reenactments, Kelly Ernswiler obsesses over military tactics with his buddy Bart. The school bully is one of Kelly's regular headaches, and he also has to deal with a frustrating situation at home, where his father is a recovering drug addict. Kelly's life gets even more complicated when he falls for Tabby, Bart's pretty and soon-to-be-wed older sister.
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Cast
- Shia LaBeoufKelly Ernswiler
- Elden HensonBart Bowland
- Amy SmartTabby
- Billy KayLance
- Kathleen QuinlanEve
- Shiri ApplebySarah
- William SadlerAbe
- Ray WiseHarrison
- Jesse Heiman(uncredited)
- Philipp KarnerMaurice / German Soldier
Recommendations
- 63
New York Daily News
Surprisingly sweet and smart... LaBeouf does an excellent job, and the talented Beeney is one to watch. - 60
TV Guide Magazine
LaBeouf somehow manages to turn Kelly's self-centered behavior and irritating character quirks into a sympathetic lead, and the well-written script by newcomer Erica Beeney brings a lot of humor to some very touching moments. - 50
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
If there is a delicate story of forgiveness, friendship and family buried somewhere in Erica Beeney's script, Potelle and Rankin haven't managed to find it under the throes of empty rebellion and painless triumph. - 50
Salon
The nice thing about seeing so much time, money and effort go into a bland film is that it makes you appreciate truly inspired filmmaking even more. - 50
Premiere
The dubious whimsy, devoid of any directorial voice, plays more like a very special episode of Dawson’s Creek. - 50
Entertainment Weekly
Best to experience Shaker Heights for what it is: not a movie, exactly, but the true season capper of ''Project Greenlight,'' a series that finds its very drama on the road to mediocrity. - 50
Chicago Sun-Times
Isn't bad so much as jumbled...You get the sense of too much input, too many bright ideas, too many scenes that don't belong in the same movie. - 30
Variety
Although Erica Beeney's script beat out more than 7,000 entries, the screen version dulls her potentially distinctive voice with deadly doses of sentimentality.
