HOW TO BE POPULAR

Description:

This fictionalized account of a 2001 NY Times article about teen popularity, examines with tongue-in-cheek seriousness the adolescent obsession with social success through a complex popularity struggle among middle school girls.

KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments:

This convincing "documentary" interviews the "popular" kids and asks them how they achieved their status. Other interviews with "unpopular" kids reveal their views on the girls who "rule the school." Although some of the interviews seem scripted, the majority of them are convincing enough and typical of views of middle school students about status, beauty, money and ignorance. Some parts are funny such as when the interviewee's name appears along with their popularity status under them. It does not worship the popular kids, but rather tries to clarify the issues around popularity in middle school. Well produced with good visual and audio production. Although the popular girls are shown as self-centered, we do see one who prevents a boy from getting beaten up.