Review: Prom

A teen pic aimed at the tween demographic, Prom turns what could have been a string of punch lines and lump-in-the-throat passages into an affecting group portrait. It's a movie about expectations (and the letting-go thereof), set during the run-up to the event that the main character envisions as "all of us together in this one perfect moment." The squeaky-clean ensemble is led by Aimee Teegarden as Nova, a Georgetown-bound overachiever ditched by her prospective beau and thrown together by fate with cynical delinquent Jesse (the Depp-elicious Thomas McDonell). Director Joe Nussbaum's use of digital video — which allows for natural light and spontaneous-looking staging — gives the movie a relaxed feel and takes the edge off the shrillness of the couples' travails. ("Did Tyler lie to Jordan?!!") The show is nearly stolen by sophomore Lucas (Nolan Sotillo) and his jittery pursuit of his lab partner, Simone (the preternaturally poised Danielle Campbell).