Cheats

Cheats is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Andrew Gurland. The film features a strong ensemble cast that includes Trevor Fehrman, Matthew Lawrence, Elden Henson, Martin Starr, and Mary Tyler Moore. The movie offers a light and entertaining look at a group of high school buddies who take advantage of the education system in a highly unconventional way. What makes Cheats unique is its impeccable blend of teenager rebellion, humor, and friendship, all with a light-hearted touch of subversion.

The movie forms its plot around four chums: Handsome, Sam, Victor, and Applebee, played by Trevor Fehrman, Elden Henson, Matthew Lawrence, and Martin Starr respectively. Set in North Point Academy, a prestigious private school known for its strict academic environment, the four friends have maintained a consecutive series of straight A's throughout their time there. However, the strange part about this seemingly impossible streak is how they achieve it. Their perfect scores are not the result of rigorous study or natural brilliance; instead, they are expert cheaters.

Their elaborate cheating system ranges from scribbling notes onto thighs to Morse code tapping on desks to passing notes in highly intricate ways. This system, having been perfected over the years, is responsible for their academic excellence, and their continuous flaunting of the school authorities' educational norms. However, the system also represents an example of their unity and camaraderie, as they pull off these stunts to help each other succeed.

The charm of the movie does not rely solely on their cheating ploys. The personalities of the characters play a huge part in making this film relatable and appealing. Handsome (Fehrman), the ringleader of the quartet, comes off as charming despite his mischief. Then there's Sam, played by Henson, whose nonchalant attitude towards education and student code creates an interesting counterpoint to the studious environment. Matthew Lawrence’s Victor is the brains behind many of their stunts but also struggles with societal and family pressures. Lastly, Applebee, played by Starr, is the studious nerd of the group who prefers not to cheat unless absolutely necessary.

The movie explores their friendship through these misadventures and provides an interesting contrast to the standard high achievers in academic films. Along with the quartet, the film's supporting characters help unfold the narrative delightfully. Mary Tyler Moore, playing the role of the Principal, is persistent and strict, contrasting the boys' more cavaline attitudes.

Cheats is a clever and fresh take on the classic adolescent high school drama, finding a way to subvert it while keeping a humorous tone throughout. It captures the pressures of academic competition, conformity, and the lengths teenagers will go to attain what is considered success.

Despite the friends' unethical way to success, you'll find yourself rooting for them mostly because of the bond they share - their loyalty and camaritability, the quirkiness of their personalities, and their audacious acts of defiance, all without ever losing the humor.

The movie's strongest feature is undoubtedly its sharp script, which is packed with dry humor and clever one-liners that will keep you entertained from the start until the end. The performances from the main cast are excellent, with Fehrman, Henson, Lawrence, and Starr each managing to make their characters stand out, despite sharing a lot of screen time together.

Director Andrew Gurland has taken a taboo subject like cheating and turned it into a story about friendship, solidarity, and loyalty that resonates with people of all ages. While the film doesn't exactly support the idea of cheating, it somewhat humanizes the individuals who take this path while portraying how a flawed education system can push students to this point.

Cheats won’t win any awards for ethical plotlines, but it should win you over with its irreverent humor, breezy pacing, and surprisingly endearing characters. This film is exciting, entertaining, teetering on defiant, and above all, hilariously funny. Cheats offers a lot more than your mainstream teen comedies, and that makes it worth a watch.