Speak (2004)

Directed by: Jessica Sharzer

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Eric Lively, Michael Angarano, Hallee Hirsh, and Steve Zahn

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Teen, Drama

Based on the novel byLaurie Halse Anderson

It’s Melinda Sordino’s (Stewart) first year of high school and nothing is what she thought it would be. She enters the year with no friends and faces the wrath of her peers for an incident that happened over the summer. She called the cops at a party, everyone in attendance was busted, and only she knows the reason why she did it. Labeled a “squealer,” Melinda shrinks away from her peers and slowly stops talking altogether, losing herself in her art. As the end of the year rolls around, she realizes that she must tell her secret, she has to open her mouth and Speak.

I think this film did a very good job of capturing the essence of the novel. It stays mostly true to the story, only changing a few things here and there. I found it amusing that her history teacher’s name actually was “Mr. Neck” and not just what she called him. I didn’t like that they changed Andy Evans’s (Lively) character, or the final confrontation between him and Melinda at the climax of the novel, turning a highly suspenseful scene into a blink-and-it’s-over moment.

The acting was decent, with Stewart stealing the show as Melinda. She may get a lot of criticism from detractors over her lack of expression – but that worked for her in this film. Melinda is a depressed character, holding back a dark secret that she feels she can’t tell anyone. Stewart also has a knack for delivering witty lines with a deadpan face, which worked for the character as well. She can, however, express emotion, and does so very well.

Right behind Stewart’s performance is Steve Zahn’s as her art teacher, Mr. Freeman. It was nice to see Zahn in a serious role where he’s not getting naked or acting like an idiot. (Although those roles are usually rather hilarious.) He really takes an interest in her and her work, encouraging her at every turn, and being one of the main reasons she begins to have confidence again. His energy is contagious, and I couldn’t help but smile when he was onscreen.

I was surprised to see Eric Lively playing the main antagonist, Andy Evans. I grew up watching him as the kindly older brother figure on Disney’s So Weird, so it was a little strange seeing him as the bad guy. I was especially surprised at how good he was in the role. He and Kristen Stewart also had a great chemistry, and the scenes they share in the party flashbacks border on adorable in some cases. This chemistry is another reason why I didn’t like how anti-climactic the final confrontation between the two of them actually was.

The bullying was also amped up in the film. In the book, Melinda did face it a little, but not nearly as badly as in the film. Here the kids yell “Squealer” at her, making pig noises whenever she walks by, and throw things at her. She is ridiculed, her books slapped out of her hands, and signs taped to her back. Her teachers aren’t much better, with Mr. Neck deciding she’s a trouble maker from day one, yelling in her face and being an overall bigot. Lastly, her parents don’t even try to understand her, until after the final confrontation between her and Andy, when everyone finds out the truth. As with the novel, I was left wondering how no one seemed to realize that Melinda had gone through something very traumatic – something that changed her entire personality.

Overall, it’s a fairly compelling film with good performances from the leads. There are some deviations from the novel, and I didn’t like how rushed the final confrontation was, but it is still a solid film and worth a watch.

7/10