If you like your coming-of-age tales in the vein of “Sixteen Candles” then Becky Smith’s “16 to Life” is a film right up your alley! Set in a small rural river town, birthday girl Kate (Hallee Hirsh) is down about the fact that she is turning 16 and has never been kissed. “16 to Life” takes this all-important day of Kate’s and turns it into a mission to learn about love. Not only for herself, but to learn about the love that the people around her feel, or don’t feel for that matter. This slice-of-life film accurately captures the inadequacies felt by every youth whether boy or girl.

The characters are a little cookie-cutter, but so is basically everyone we run into in our lives. Kate is the girl next door, while her friend Darby (Mandy Musgrave) is a little more outgoing and adventurous. Her boss has never really felt that she’s found true love and has given up the quest almost entirely. She’s dealing with a junkie sister, and an odd father who’s idea of an appropriate birthday present is a stun gun for his daughter. On top of this she is dealing with the possible first sexual experience of her friend Darby who she seems to feel is leaving her behind when it comes to life experiences.

The various ways that this story is told (through direct narrative, through Kate’s Chinese Cultural Revolutionary fantasies, and even through an omniscient narrator that interjects occasionally) keep the plot driven and also serve to add a slight bit of comedic distraction. The writing of this movie is well done, with intelligent characters and witty dialogue that Diablo Cody should take a note from. It keeps itself relevant without being over the top, cliche, or trying too hard to appeal to a certain age demographic. This is no small feat as most features about people this age talk down to that generation without giving them the benefit of the doubt of being able to deal with real conversations and topics of their age range.

The flick is shot beautifully. The colors are vibrant, the shots are clean and occasionally surprises the viewer with wonderful shots of waterfront scenery. The lighting is great, and the soundtrack is peaceful and serene. Technically speaking this movie doesn’t feel like an independent film, but the spirit of the subject matter captures the indie vibe. I enjoyed every minute of this film.

“16 to Life” – You’ve Been Snobbed!