"I mean, it's not my fault the teachers here suck." Witty, charming, and pleasing to watch, The Battle of Shaker Heights is a wonderful indie flick about a high school student who's really big into reenacting World War II battles. The student, Kelly Ernswiler (Shia LaBeouf), is bullied at school, and ignored by his parents at home (his father is a recovering junkie, and his mother is an art instructor). He meets up with friendly rich kid Bart Bowland (Elden Henson) who is just as enthusiastic about reenacting as Kelly. Bart is also ignored by his parents. In addition to shining some light on the hobby of war reenacting, the film also features a romantic triangle between Kelly, the girl who likes him, and Bart's older sister (who is getting married), whom Kelly has a bit of a crush on. One of the best scenes in the film (and arguably the funniest) is a "raid" on the house of a kid who constantly bullies Kelly. Also, there is Kelly's jeep, which, suffice it to say, does not like to start up too often.
Great fun for the whole family, check this out on DVD or Independent Film Channel (IFC).
Rating: 3.5/4
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