Being a teen in the 90's has never (for me) been accurately portrayed in movies because the 90s were so...nothing. Like a decade of blah, only thing going for it was the music. (but what music!) Till Dirtbag, I've never identified with a teen-90's movie; but this, folks, it is. This is what being a teenager in the 90's was like. I loved all the outfits, that was spot-on, too. Turtlenecks and little skirts....
Amber's emotional state was difficult to perceive - for me, she was hard to read at first. Did she really love fitting in? Cheerleading? I'm not convinced. She wasn't working that hard at maintaining her status. She didn't act like she had to. And sleeping with one guy and making out with 2 others in one year didn't make her a slut, that's status quo for teens. I don't perceive that she was trying hard to fill a void there. She's not a very expressive person, seems very controlled and self-sufficient. Maybe you're right, she could be 'emotionally shut off', but I think that's open to interpretation.
I think she definitely felt a bit superior to Thayer at first, and that never really wore off. It's only when she's a grown-up, spending long hours trying to track down details of his death, that she allows her feelings to surface. Now that he's safely out-of-the-question.
Thayer's emotional state is also hard to read. He stands up to his demons, then gets self-destructive. He tries on religion full-scale, but abandons it for more self-destructiveness. He's finally rid of his father and brother, but then kills himself, and why? Because Amber rejects him? I just can't see it.
The things we realize when we grow up! What's that saying, 'the vigour of youth for the wisodm of age'... I guess making movies about the things we regret is the best we can hope for.
Goodnight:)
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Sethslvr
14 years ago
This movie is so amazing! I have watched it 4 times in like 3 days. Although it is tough because there is no "payoff" like a kiss or anything for Amber and Thayer. I keep rewatching the "on your back" poem and locker scene because they are so powerful..Though I question why Thayer was so upset about Ambers encounter with another boy..when it seemed like he was dating Tabitha??
I'm already gone....
After what you put me through..I ain't that lonely yet
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Ode-to-a-Loner
14 years ago
The extent of his relationship with Tabitha was that they publicly made out and probably *beep* but there wasn't an actual relationship with depth and meaning. The one he really cared about was Amber, and that's why he got so upset when she was with another guy, hence the "on your back" poem. He pretty much illustrated the idea that when you really care about someone you can still totally cut that person down to the bone. Thayer held Amber up to a standard and probably saw her as perfect, which seemed to make Tabitha green with envy.
I agree with everything the OP stated. This movie totally captured what it was like to be a teenager in high school in the 90's, not many movies have been able to do that, which is why I really don't enjoy any of the teen-movies from the 90's, because they aren't memorable in any way. Most of the 90's teen-movies are basically parodies and exagerrations of what it is like to be a teen. Teenage Dirtbag took it back to the basics and was raw, emotional, turthful. It reminded me of some of the movies from the 80s.
Also, I agree that Amber distanced herself from her own emotions. She was very controlled and she put out that controlled image in a conscious way. She basically states that that is what she is doing, in one of the scenes after she reveals Thayer's notebook. She talks about how controlled she is to show the differences in her behavior and Thayer's self-destructive behavior. But as the OP stated, Amber does have feelings and she does care about Thayer. She is a well-spring of emotions that is hidden from view. I also think that her popularity is based on the fact that she participates in school activities, specifically cheerleading and she is easy to get along with, there by making her someone that other people want to spend time with. But even when she is around her friends, she still shows individuality. She doesn't mind being alone, doing something solitary, like catching the fish, when she and her friends are down by the water. Amber is a girl who shows both independent behavior and dependency on social status.
"There is no world without Verona walls." Shakespeare
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scatter_brained4
13 years ago
I totally agree with your description of Amber. I love her character despite the fact that she didn't tell Thayer how she felt. She must have had her reasons.
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