‘ATL’ captures a disturbing but hopeful slice of life

Posted by Dennis Sellers Apr 5, 2006 at 6:06pm

A coming of age film about black friends getting ready to graduate from high school, ATL hits several familiar notes, but it’s well acted by its young ensemble cast (which includes Jackie Long, Lauren London, Antwan Andrew Patton, Evan Ross and Tip Harris in a stand-out performance), has a fantastic soundtrack and a fine sense of place, so it’s a cut above the usual teen-oriented movie.

Loosely based on the childhoods of Dallas Austin and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, TLC —whose title refers to the South side neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia—tells the story of a close knit group of working-class teens in Atlanta whose lives revolve around hip-hop music and roller skating at their local rollerskating rink, Jellybeans. Working from a story by Antwone Fisher, screenwriter Tina Gordon Chism and director Chris Robinson has a genuine affection for its characters and doesn’t condescend or pander to its audience, which certainly earns it kudos. On the other hand, the final third of the film hits some too-familiar notes with guns and drugs.

Still, ATL serves up scenes of class consciousness, friendship and a longing for something better. And the way the film captures the way kids in bad neighborhoods face self-destructive temptations on a daily basis that many of us can’t imagine is a feat in itself.

ATL is rated PG-13 for drug content, sexual material and some violence. Running time: 105 minutes. Macsimum rating: 7 out of 10. You can check out all the films’ trailers on the QuickTime movie trailer site.
—Ramona Bissudo

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