Scrapbook (1999)

“Alright people, quit playin with your balls and let’s line up, let’s go!.” – Coach

Number of Times Seen – 1 (15 Nov 2016)

Brief Synopsis – Two brother’s lives are changed forever when a rift between them spirals out of control.

My Take on it – It’s no secret that I’ve been a big fan of Kurt Kuenne’s work ever since I saw his amazing documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father (2008) (one of my favorite movies ever) a bit more than a year ago.

I have actively sought out all of his films (shorts and full length) and after watching this film, I believe that I have now seen them all. (I actually got a copy of this from Kuenne himself).

This film is further proof to me that Kuenne is a great writer/director/composer.

Despite its obvious low budget, the story itself makes this film so enjoyable to watch because in less than 2 hours, we get to see a story filled with themes that usually feel like cliches in movies about teens, but here they feel genuine, realistic and thought out.

The themes are explored through the story and it’s easy to identify with everything going on no matter your age.

Some of the themes touched upon here include sibling rivalry, first love/crush, choice of friends, younger brother feeling like he is in the shadow of his older brother, parents reactions to situations beyond their control and of course brotherly love above all.

Having seen Kuenne’s (current) full scope of work, it’s simple to see this as a stepping stone in his filmography leading towards greater things.

I, for one, look forward to seeing what he has in store for us in the future.

Bottom Line – Great first film by Kuenne.  Despite its low budget, the story shines thru.  The amount of teen-aged problems that are injected into this film could seem daunting, but instead of feeling like a cluster of cliches dealing with each issue, the story gives a realistic look at growing up, sibling rivalry and numerous other themes and does it so well.  This film is yet further proof of Kuenne’s abilities as a director/writer/composer. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Director Kurt Kuenne has a Hitchcock style cameo about 4 minutes in where he greets the brothers as they enter the restaurant. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy

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Director ‘Kurt Kuenne’ (qv) has a Hitchcock style cameo about 4 minutes in where he greets the brothers as they enter the restaurant. (via IMDB)