Tagline: Do something you’re afraid of.
Dare follows three very different teenagers through the last semester of high school. There are Alexa (Emmy Rossum), the overachieving good girl who longs to break out of her shell; Ben (Ashley Springer), the melancholy outsider confused about his sexuality; and Johnny (Zach Gilford), the rich kid who has everything, including good looks, but hides behind his bad boy persona. This unlikely trio fall into each other’s lives and each other’s arms, making a last ditch effort to shake things up before they actually have to start living as adults.
Director Adam Salky and writer David Brind takes us into some uncharted territory with fresh eyes and matter-of-fact authority. Sweet and sexy don’t always go together, but they work beautifully in this instance because the sexuality of the film is cleverly woven into the fabric of the story. You can ask why the kids are in such a hurry to experience adult feelings, especially when their parents, comically enough, are afraid to get in the way.
All is answered in the nuanced performances of this exceptional cast. They capture perfectly a generation with nothing to rebel against except their self imposed inhibitions. By being keenly perceptive, director Salky stacks up countless priceless moments in crafting teen romance with a decidedly modern spin. In DARE, the kids do what they need to do to become the adults they should.
Dare is a 2009 indie romantic drama film directed by Adam Salky. It is written by David Brind. The movie is based on Salky’s 2005 short film which was met with acclaim at film festivals. The feature-length version, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, stars Emmy Rossum in a story about how “three very different teenagers discover that, even in the safe world of a suburban prep school, no one is who she or he appears to be.” IMDB also provides a different teaser synopsis: “The good girl, the outsider and the bad boy…like you’ve never seen them before.” The film has been described as a cross between Pretty in Pink and Cruel Intentions.
Dare (2009)
Directed by: Adam Salky
Starring by: Emmy Rossum, Ashley Springer, Ana Gasteyer, Alan Cumming, Tricia Mara, Zach Gilford, Sandra Bernhard, Rooney Mara, Lucy McMichael, Emily McNamara, Matthew Garrick, Cady Huffman
Screenplay by: David Brind
Production Design by: Jennifer Dehghan
Cinematography by: Michael Fimognari
Film Editing by: John F. Lyons
Costume Design by: Caroline Duncan
Set Decoration by: Clarissa Shanahan
Art Direction by: Michael Crenshaw
Music by: David Poe, Duncan Sheik
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language and alcohol use – all involving teens.
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
Release Date: November 6, 2009
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