Indiana University junior Mitch Reinholt is a bio-chem major from Warsaw, Ind., who plays flag football in his spare time and hopes to be an eye doctor one day. He's also one of the stars of the summer's surprise hit film American Teen, winner of the "Directing Award: Documentary" at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.While friends waited tables or took summer classes, Reinholt spent his summer making appearances on shows such as MTV's "Total Request Live," attending the Sundance Film Festival, and going to screenings and premieres, where he met the celebrities he'd grown up watching on the big screen. He even got to hang out with the stars of "The Office" and the MTV reality TV show "The Hills."
Being in the movie wasn't initially Reinholt's idea. "One of the school administrators asked if I would just go talk to the director," said Reinholt. "I played basketball and football, and there weren't that many athletes interested in getting involved at first."
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Nanette Burstein (Beyond the Ropes, The Kid Stays in the Picture) contacted around 100 schools in small towns across the country, got positive responses from 10 and ultimately chose Warsaw Community High School. She sought archetypal personalities in a town that had just one high school (magnifying the stakes for social and athletic success).
"Nanette started filming in September 2005 and spent 10 fantastic months in Warsaw hanging out with high schoolers," joked Reinholt.
Burstein filmed about 15 seniors throughout the course of their senior year and then narrowed the "main characters" down to four relatable students: Hannah Bailey ("the outsider"); Colin Clemens ("the jock"); Megan Krizmanich (the princess); and Jake Tussing ("the geek"). Reinholt ("the heartthrob") became the honorary fifth cast member through his friendship with Megan and Colin.He also briefly dated Hannah, which led to his most embarrassing, regrettable moment of the year: "I break up with her in a text message," he said. "It wasn't just the text message -- we talked about it, too -- but that's what they had on camera. I'm not proud of it, and I've had to talk a lot about it, reliving the memory. That's how I dropped the ball."
At the outset of the project, Burstein called in the students' families and explained her intention to tell their stories in a nonexploitive way that accurately shared the ups and downs of their senior year. Reinholt said it took about a month for him to get used to the cameras.
"She actually made fun of us toward the end of the year about how awkward we were on camera the first month. We kept looking at the camera," he said, adding that Burstein did a great job of integrating herself into their regular lives, even when the camera was off. "She'd come over for family dinners and just hang out. It wasn't all about filming. It was us getting to know her and her getting to know us so that having the camera there wasn't as big a deal."
He admits that becoming caught up in the pressures of senior year -- and not realizing how big the movie would become -- took his mind of the cameras as well.
"It kind of sounds selfish, but during your senior year you're so wrapped up in yourself. We really didn't think the movie would be this big a deal, so it wasn't a huge amount of pressure to act for the cameras. We were just being ourselves, living our senior year."
Reinholt is frustrated by critics who have said the film seems scripted or set up. "The difference between this movie and the reality shows is that Nannette followed us during an entire year and cut it down to a 90-minute documentary," he said. "It's kind of frustrating to hear critics say 'you won't believe it for a second, it's not real.' It's our lives, it's real and I promise, it did happen. She just did a very good job of editing it."
While the premieres and parties were fun, he most enjoyed spending more time with other cast members. "We're all very close now," he said. "Throughout the movie, you see that there's more to each of us than the label we're given at the very beginning. I was close with Colin and Megan before, but I've learned more about Jake and Hannah. I went through withdrawal the week after we all went our own ways."
As for weighing a Hollywood career with finishing school, Reinholt has had offers, but none that have turned his head away from his studies -- at least so far.
"I have met people I never would have gotten to meet and done things I never would have gotten to do, but this isn't my life. All summer, people would ask 'what's next for you?' Next is my junior year at IU. So far I haven't been offered anything concrete enough to change the course of my life."
