The Bad Kids

Keith Fulton and Lou Pepe's film is a fly-on-the-wall documentary about Black Rock Continuation High School, an alternative California campus that aims to encourage at-risk students to complete the credits required for graduation. The staff is portrayed as incredibly committed, with principal Vonda Viland and her aides calling students to remind them to come to class and even occasionally driving them to school while also constantly offering encouragement in counseling sessions. The main focus here, however, is on the titular kids, particularly Joey, a musician whose drug-addict mother presents an obstacle to his progression; Lee, who has a young son with classmate Layla; and studious Jennifer, who was abandoned by her parents and lives with her grandmother. The film offers a straightforward look at the factors threatening the students' success—not only dysfunctional families but also their own lack of confidence and a penchant for making excuses for their failings. Overall, however, like Viland and her staff, The Bad Kids maintains a dogged optimism even in the face of the myriad challenges facing the students. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)