Rocket Science

Hal (Thompson) is having a tough time: his dad (O'Hare) has just walked out on his family, his brother Earl (Piazza) is a domineering bully, and his stutter is so intense that it gets him mocked at school. Along comes ambitious Ginny (Kendrick), who recruits him for the debate club. Hal slowly falls for Ginny, all the time unsure if she likes him or if she's just using him. Sweet and quirky meditation on first love and teenage awkwardness provides plenty of laughs, but director Blitz has a genuine sense of feeling for the characters as well in his first feature film; he previously directed the spelling bee documentary "Spellbound."