ATL This is kind of film that sends all the politically correct signals to its target audience, and does it rather well.
ATL (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:85
Fresh:53
Rotten:32
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Strong lead performances and catchy musical interludes rescue this coming-of-age story from its formulaic script and uneven direction.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for drug content, language, sexual material and some violence.
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Mar 31, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $21,160,089
Synopsis: 17-year-old Rashad (TIP HARRIS) was forced to become the man of the house earlier than most. Since the death of his parents, he's carried the responsibility for himself and his little brother Ant... 17-year-old Rashad (TIP HARRIS) was forced to become the man of the house earlier than most. Since the death of his parents, he's carried the responsibility for himself and his little brother Ant (EVAN ROSS) squarely on his shoulders. While he does his best to keep Ant in school and out of the trouble that's always lurking just around the corner in their South Atlanta neighborhood, sometimes it seems like a losing battle - Rashad can't be everywhere at once, and Ant is dangerously close to falling under the spell of a blinged-out local dealer who promises fast money and the respect Ant dreams of getting. A talented artist, Rashad doesn't see any future for himself beyond assisting his Uncle George (MYKELTI WILLIAMSON) as a janitor after school. The thing is, "assisting" George actually means doing all the work and seeing none of the cash. Lately it seems the only bright spot in Rashad's life is New-New (LAUREN LONDON). She sees something special in him, something more than he sees. When the two get together, everything begins to change, and Rashad's future starts to open up for the first time. But New-New has a secret that's getting harder and harder to keep. Behind her ghetto-fabulous front, New-New is actually Erin, a rich girl from the right side of the tracks who's drawn to the music and vibrant life she sees in Rashad's neighborhood. Her father, successful CEO John Garnett (KEITH DAVID), grew up on the south side of town, but once he left he never looked back. Garnett doesn't want his daughter slumming on the southside, and forbids her from setting foot anywhere near his old neighborhood. So every weekend she leaves Erin behind, lying to her parents so that she can become New-New, the person she thinks she needs to be to find acceptance in Rashad's world. Besides New-New, there aren't many people Rashad can count on. His best friend Esquire (JACKIE LONG) is an ambitious student who dreams of attending an Ivy League college, and is willing to do anything to make that dream come true. When Esquire runs into New-New while cozying up to her influential father for a letter of recommendation, he has to make a decision whether or not to blow her cover. When Rashad finds out New-New's real story, he doesn't know who to trust anymore - it seems everyone in his life is lying to him, even the people he loves the most. As Ant gets pulled deeper into the life of a dealer and Rashad's dreams for him begin to fade, Rashad is going to have to make tough choices about what he wants and where he's going. --© Warner Bros. [More]
Starring: Tip Harris, Lauren London, Antwan Andre Patton, Mykelti Williamson
Starring: Tip Harris, Lauren London, Antwan Andre Patton, Mykelti Williamson, Keith David, Lonette McKee, T.I., Jason Weaver, 10001447-tasha_smith, Jazze Pha, Vanessa Petrosky, Evan Ross Naess, Markice Moore, Lauren Leah Mitchell, Khadijah , April Clark, Malika
Director: Chris Robinson
Director: Chris Robinson
Screenwriter: Tina Gordon Chism
Story: Antwone Fisher
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: Warner Bros.
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Reviews for ATL
"ATL" doesn't explore any new ground in the genre of black teen disillusionment but this is an affecting urban cautionary tale that sparkles in its own self-reflection.
...serves as the Kanye West to gangster-rap movies such as `Never Die Alone.'
It's something akin to the earlier films of Spike Lee -- She's Gotta Have It and Crooklyn come to mind -- in that the characters are cherished for their human qualities, not for how well they swagger onto the screen.
The story is familiar, but terrific performances and a vivid sense of place elevate it above the average teen-oriented picture.
Warner Bros.' low-budget stab at capturing an urban niche audience is higher on stylistic dazzle than originality or coherence, making it an unlikely candidate to bust out of the box office ghetto.
For a run-of-the-mill hip-hop drama, ATL has some engaging hooks that set it apart from the predictable formula of urban youth struggling to steer clear of crime and pull themselves up to a better life.
The film's special appeal is that while the boys are poor and black, their stories transcend race and socio-economic matters.
But the story behind ATL (credited to Antwone Fisher, the onetime Navy man in San Diego who had a movie made about his life four years ago) for the most part feels genuine and resonant.
Along the way, the film is bogged down by its dramatic twists and turns.
Making his feature-film debut, music-video director Chris Robinson expertly choreographs the skating sequences, which are exhilarating fun.
Really, ATL -- like last year's Roll Bounce -- is about roller skating.
The second half is clumsier than the first, and you get the impression that the studio rushed to cut things that hadn't worked in last fall's kids-skating flop and play up the Boyz aspects of the routine moral-dilemma plot.
Ultimately, ATL is the same old teenager angst in a mildly novel package.
A good message isn't enough to justify a $10 ticket. You also need a good movie.
A thoroughly convincing portrait of black teens in Atlanta, ATL has the same broad range of laughs and fears as Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
It feels like a real window on the lives of disenfranchised youths -- these are in South Atlanta -- as they make their way in a society that doesn't cut them any breaks.
Buoyed by a superlative soundtrack, ATL plays a familiar song about growing up, but hits notes that sound brand new.
ATL never suggests that it feels good to be a gangster, nor is it a preachy morality tale peppered with gunshots and prison cells.
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