Director John Stockwell's sexy teen drama is predictable from beginning to end, but fortunately the journey is made bearable by the refreshing charm of Kirsten Dunst - excellent in The Virgin Suicides - who is able to illuminate even the most witless lines of dialogue. She plays a spoilt little rich girl who's constantly getting into drink- and drugs-related trouble, then being bailed out by her politician father (Bruce Davison). Deprived Hispanic Jay Hernandez, on the other hand, is a model student who takes his career goals seriously. It's no great surprise that they fall in love and wreak havoc on each other's differing lives, but at least the story is free of the usual clichés and American Pie-style idiocy, and manages to tread the fine line between moralising and being hip. Dunst proves herself once again to be one of the finest actresses around - and there's a great pop soundtrack, too.

At Pacific Palisades High, a poor Latino falls hard for a troubled girl from the affluent neighborhood.