Try Seventeen (2002)

One of my all time favorites.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Blistering performances.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Looking at the DVD for the first time, I thought that it would be interesting to see how three so different actors/actresses fit in to work as a movie. Lisa(Mandy Moore), an aspiring actress that gets too overly attached to Jones(Elijah Wood) very quickly is distressed by a seeming affection and curiosity of Jones to the photographer next door, Jane(Franka Potente).ALong with the series of mishaps, overly sexed furniture dealers and satires with Jones' typewriting, the movie isn't that bad. I can imagine how the director envisioned this coming up of age movie, but at some times things just doesn't work out well. Obviously, it was not the famed movie stardom for its celeb cast with big names, and for a Mandy MOore fan as strong as I am, I would have expected more than just an amateur part.THe end of the story could have been dealt with further passion and facts that would affect the overall theme quite better. Touch me touch me, on Moore's character play won't just cut it well.The DVD description and overall featurettes are horrid too. No additional scenes, commentaries whatsoever, only New Line cinema upcoming lists of independent films and a bunch more.Overall, Mandy Moore, Franka Potente and Elijah Wood brought this movie to it's height at some point, but even the trio's star power can't save another hollwood cliché in the falling list of movie again. Too much things going on in a short end story of being 17, characters that seem to not fit at times, and Mandy's ridiculous part didn't make the movie good enough. Love is also brought part to this if I haven't told you guys, but apparently a Seventeen Year Old's life is too overly interesting for the rest of us. It just doesn't seem realistic at times.

All I Want/Try Seventeen is a fresh, beautiful film about one young man's struggles as he travels along the bumpy path of growing up. This film was absolutely brilliant- the script, the way it was filmed, and especially the music all worked together to make it a refreshing change from the normal teen movies of today. Not to mention the acting- Elijah Wood did a wonderful job of portraying his character, Jones Dillon. He gave just the right amount of depth and feeling to his character without overacting. Hollywood could do with more young actors like Elijah Wood. He knows how to give a real, stirring, heartfelt performance and he give his all, which is apparent in this film. Equally good performances came from Mandy Moore and Franka Potente. If you remember what it's like to be around that age, on the brink of adulthood but not quite there yet, you will enjoy this film!

Because of his superb work as Frodo, I have become a fan of E. Wood. Recently, I began viewing his previous films, having seen very few before LotR. A few nights ago I watched "The War", a pretty good film in which Wood does an amazing, truly convincing job at portraying the intense, very complex boy, Stu. But viewing "All I Want", I hardly can believe it is the same actor! The film has many good ideas but doesn't develop them. It's like a sketch for another film that never was made. The acting is like that, too. Some good ideas, isolated convincing moments, but mostly the scenes seem more like early rehearsals than finished performances. I can only think to blame the director for both the wispyness of the film as a whole and for the portrayals, most of which only hint at what might make their characters tick. Only Franka Potente is able to scrounge up something that feels like a real person. A waste of a lot of acting talent all round, in my opinion.

I have to admit,on first hearing about this film I wasn't too keen on it and was thinking that it was going to be one of those teenybopper films. When I actually saw this film for the first,I was amazed how it's really not how I thought.I was a good film.And the soundtrack,I must say,is pretty darn good too. The story line is easy enough to follow,even for me,and the characters are all simple and likeable. Just one thing bugs me.Why change the title to 'All I Want'?In the film,I'm pretty sure no one says the line 'All I Want',however when Jones talks to Brad,he says the line 'Try Seventeen'.It's a memorable line!Why change the title?It would be more memorable (and great) as 'Try Seventeen'. All in all,great film.See it.And hopefully,get the soundtrack!*First ever comment