Home Room (2002)

An emotional picture that benefits from the extremely powerful performances of its stars.

Distinguishes itself from other such projects by dealing less with the event itself than its devastating aftershocks.

In the midst of this didactic, self-conscious movie about a high school shooting comes an extraordinary and intense performance by a young actress named Busy Philipps, which elevates the whole picture.

The lead performances of Home Room go a long way toward camouflaging the severe flaws of this exceedingly earnest movie.

Too often crosses the line between good melodrama and rank cliché.