Film Review – Speech & Debate

I suppose the knee-jerk reaction to “Speech & Debate” is to compare it to the “Glee,” the television phenomenon that brought music, drama, and diversity into American homes, identifying teen liberation through the performing arts. The material is actually an adaptation of a play by Stephen Karam, who assumes screenwriting duties for his big screen debut. While it has the potential to be snarky, dim, and thin, “Speech & Debate” is downright wonderful at times, eschewing the plastic teen routine to create dimensional characters facing interesting personal and educational challenges, while comedic efforts are shockingly effective, keeping the laughs and mild amounts of absurdity coming as director Dan Harris (who hasn’t helmed a movie since 2004’s “Imaginary Heroes”) creates a bright take on adolescent insecurities and rebellion.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com