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Chronicle

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Written by Jonathan Jacobs

The overarching premise of Chronicle is three high school students harness the power of an alien artifact buried within the Earth next to a barn party (isn't that always the way?). Yes, this is sheer mimicry of Clark Kent and Superman, and yes it is a stale scenario, but if the results are anything they are inventive. Before the "accidental contact" Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) had only one friend, his cousin Matt Geretty (Alex Russell). Matt is carefree and adventurous while Andrew is bogged down with his mother's precarious health condition and with his father's misbehavior. Along with the high school football captain Steve Montgomery (Michael Jordan),  Andrew and Matt develop super powers. Though they are an odd pairing of friends on the surface, their newfound abilities unite them.

The three knuckle heads begin with simple experimentation. All throughout Andrew shows the most ability and strength with harnessing their power. The threesome can fly, move objects, shatter glass, and a host of other potentially inimical or potentially heroic powers. The stage is set for a classic nature versus nurture, Shakespeare's "Richard III" kind of outcome. In fact, Andrew questions whether their special powers have a relationship with Schopenhauer's philosophical treatises.

Arthur Schopenhauer advocated the creation of artwork, being uber-moral, and inclining oneself toward impacting universal beneficence. According to the philosopher, man's natural state is one of dreariness and pessimism because the outcome is always morbid (certain death and loneliness). From this brief overview of the German intellectual we can infer that Chronicle is about the choice of being someone that helps others or hurts everyone. Writer Max Landis makes the case that one's nurture (the circumstances of one's birth and upbringing) will determine the course they take.

Steve is the high school's social kingpin. Consequently, he utilizes their powers to lift up cheerleaders' skirts and to show off in front of fellow students. Matt is content simply to develop his power to maximize its potential and in doing so he establishes ground rules to avoid disaster. It does not hurt that his confidence has reached an all time high. This leads him into the arms of fellow blogger/film devotee Casey Letter (Ashley Hinshaw). Matt and Steve are fin-loving free spirits but they have few concerns. Andrew has to contend with his father's alcoholism and abuse (Michael Kelly) and with the prospect of losing his mother. To make matters worse, his psychology is warped from years of being a tortured reclusive teenager. While his friends are having a good time, Andrew is busy augmenting his powers and often retaliates in harmful ways.

The stage is set for the ultimate question to be answered; what determines a person's actions and behaviors? Chronicle is by no means a meaningful or important motion picture, but it will score big-time with younger audiences. The 13-30 demographic will go to see it in droves.  There is enough silly humor and pranks to satisfy any Buehllerian (Ferris Buehler) dork, dwebe, jock, dipshit, or moron. Frankly, the movie makes me sick over its limited scope and absurd cheapness of philosophy. The college kids ate it up like candy at the screening. This is not a film for serious adults, it is for off-the-wall youngsters.