In the ‘80s, teens watched movies like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, which showed the angst and agony of growing up with plenty of bubble gum cheer mixed in. Those same ‘80s teens grew up and found out (like Jay and Silent Bob, two View Askew characters) that there is no Shermer, Illinois. Even in the ‘80s, teens just aren’t that tame. Or…are they?

There’s only one way to find out. The documentary American Teen features four Warsaw, Indiana High School students. Which High School do they attend? The only one available in Warsaw, Indiana - and yes, I’m totally serious. The movie follows four stereotyped teens - a homecoming queen, an artistic female student, a jock and a “geeky” loner. Throw in one of those catchy, mellow ‘80s rock tunes and you’ve got a good start on re-making St. Elmo’s Fire. But for this flick, there’s no script. There might not even be a happy ending where the somewhat awkward girl gets the hotter-than-hot guy.

Each one will experience their senior year of high school on camera. Each will be pressured by parents and peers, and each will struggle to discover who they are and what they want to do. All the normal stuff - for a teen. Today, the teens are all twenty years old (graduated in 2006) and the film has been well-received by critics. Don’t expect one of those text montages at the end, however, where each person’s story continues (“She went on to get married and have five kids,” that kind of thing). The story is about the teens they were, not the adults they will become.

Picked up by Paramount, it will be released nationally in the coming weeks.