Battle of Shaker Heights (2002)
Copyright by the Doomster 2004
Rating (1 to 10) : 4
Summary: A precocious but odd boy who is into World War 2 re-enactment develops a friendship with a fellow participant, then complicates matters by developing a crush on his friend’s sister.
Kelly Ernswiler (Shia LeBeouf) is a military reenactment enthusiast, attending gatherings where the participants dress in World War 2 outfits and gear and reenact combat scenes. This is not something most high school students do. He’s a little odd but advanced beyond his age. Because of his uniqueness, he sticks out among his peers and is a target of bullying.
While on one of his reenactment engagements, he meets Bart Bowland (Elden Henson), another young teenager who is into military history like Kelly. Their friendship grows even though they are from different classes and different backgrounds.
Things get complicated when Bart invites Kelly over for dinner and he meets
Bart’s sister Tabby (Amy Smart, Beth in “Road Trip”). He immediately falls for her even though
Tabby is older and already engaged.
Then the movie gets boring. The story has an interesting setup but then when the focus turns to the interactions between Kelly and Tabby, it gets boring. No surprise - Kelly’s friendship with Bart becomes strained as Kelly tries to win her over. Maybe the problem is that Shia LeBeouf just can’t carry the lead part in a romantic role. The supporting actors are not up to par either – Elden Henson’s acting was bland and made him invisible while Amy Smart’s role, which required her to be more subdued and subtle, didn’t leave an impression like her role in other movies like “Road Trip” and “Rat Race.”
Why you should or should not see this movie:
I can’t think of a reason to recommend this movie except for the WW2 reenactment., which was more funny than dramatic. This was a Project Greenlight movie but you’d think an “independent” movie would be more innovative.
Memorable quotes
Copyright by the Doomster 2004