Though independent and "low budget", what others have deemed "staged" and "faked" (perfect "in frame" shots), seems to be a disguised complement on the quality of camera work for an "amateur" production!
The characters are realistic representations of people we all knew (maybe even were) throughout high school.
The cast seemed well selected (from looks/costuming/etc) for their "parts". The main characters, are not the "beautiful", "popular", "jocks"..... they are the other ones, the ones that weren't "popular" per se', but weren't outcasts.
Remember that beautiful girl that everybody wanted? How about the "nice girl" who fell in love with her best friend? Or (my favorite) the "dead beat" older brother who still is scarred from his first time having sex.
Yes, there are a few clichés but really.....they're clichés for a reason. BECAUSE THEY'RE REAL!!!!
All the characters I could put names to my former schoolmates.
This was all-in-all a fun, nostalgic romp through what was an otherwise traumatizing time.