Movie Preview: The Assassination of a High School President

Not long ago I watched Rocket Science for a second time and was struck all over again by how superbly Reece Thompson (pictured, right) captures the whole Awkward Teen thing. In Assassination of a High School President, he's at it again — though this time his character is ever so slightly cooler and more self-assured than Rocket Science's Hal. In Assassination he plays a sophomore high school student who finds himself teaming up with an unlikely friend, popular girl Francesca Fachini (Mischa Barton), to solve a case of stolen SAT exams. Then, "once the duo target their suspects, a larger conspiracy is unearthed." Bruce Willis plays the school's tough-guy principal.

The movie was well-received at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was directed by relative newcomer Brett Simon. No release info is available just yet, but even if it goes straight to DVD I'm going to check out this weird little high school movie. To see a trailer, read more.