Standing by Yourself (2002)

Standing by Yourself tracks the movements and daily machinations of a group of outcast friends in their strip-mall New York State hometown. Using everything from closely mic-ed subjects to infrared video, Standing by Yourself gets uncomfortably close to its subjects as they get drunk and high, squander money, rip-off their parents, and get in trouble with pretty much everyone in their paths as a conduit to simply having a good time. And yet, as we discover, these kids are smarter than their actions would let on... The film captures the daily rituals and mundanities of life in such proximity that everything becomes drama. Our cast of characters both love and despise each other, their very actions acknowledging the pressures inherent in a tightly bonded peer group. The fact that the filmmakers family is integral to this slice of life takes us that much closer to it all.