by Frank Calvillo
The opening scene of the 1998 teen thriller Disturbing Behavior features a teenage boy and girl parked in a wooded area, on a date. When things start to get too heavy, the boy kills his date and is quickly found out by two approaching policemen. The scene ends with one of the policemen dead and the other telling said boy to get home before curfew hits. To anyone unaware of exactly what movie they’re watching, this opening would prove incredibly intriguing. Unfortunately, its probably the most intriguing aspect of this otherwise standard Stepford Wives-ish tale featuring the re-programming of high school students.
Written by the screenwriter who brought High Fidelity to the screen and directed by the helmer of over a dozen episodes of The X-Files, Disturbing Behavior follows 17-year-old Steven (James Marsden) as he and his family move from Chicago to the idyllic Cradle Bay for a fresh start. Upon arrival, however, it seems not all is idyllic thanks to the unsettling presence of the “Blue Ribbons,” the local high school’s preppiest and most picture perfect group of students who always seem to be lurking. After befriending the seemingly-paranoid Gavin (Nick Stahl) and the dark, but attractive Rachel (Katie Holmes), Steven uncovers an ongoing program which is turning all the teenagers of Cradle Bay into flawless, maniacal zombies. Time is running out as Steven tries to find a way of escaping the small, quaint town before he is captured and changed forever.
Disturbing Behavior represents the classic example of a director having his film taken away from him and re-cut by the studio to within an inch of its life. There’s so much evidence here of a film that has literally been edited beyond recognition. That’s not to say there aren’t some things that are organically wrong with the film. The sequence in the mental institute is too forcibly creepy, while the character of Mr. Newberry, the school janitor (William Sadler), is so cartoonishly over the top that he flat out becomes annoying from the moment he enters the film. All that aside, the entire experience feels rushed and somewhat confusing as the audience is given no time to absorb all of the plot elements and characters aren’t allowed to properly introduce themselves, serving instead as plot functions rather than people. Meanwhile, the slightly fun, grandiose ending is cut short by a final scene which caters to the cliffhanger style of the day. All of this is a real shame given that there is enough potential here to make an honest comment about high school life.
In spite of all the hacking the studio inflicted upon Disturbing Behavior, many of the filmmakers’ core themes of high school life in the late ’90s manage to shine through. The film does indeed speak to teen conformity, the pressures to fit in amongst peers and to live up to parental expectations. Gavin’s classification of the different social groups according to interests and dress, leading to an assessments of each group’s music and drug choices, is clever and definitely applies to high schools throughout the country at the time. The character’s breakdown scene midway through is also highly relatable, especially in the feeling of isolation and abandonment that can come as a result of the high school experience. Finally the great set pieces involving the “programmed” students freaking out and engaging in violent acts of rage when becoming sexually aroused wonderfully represents the oftentimes confusing relationship many teens have with their own sexuality.
As for the actors, Stahl is great as the film’s clear scene stealer and the story’s most memorable character, proving himself to be much better than the movie deserves. Meanwhile Holmes makes for an intriguing female lead, projecting a guarded mystery about her character which works surprisingly well. Marsden, however (who almost looks too old for his role), is stuck, but its not necessarily his fault since many of the film’s cuts turned his character into essentially an observer.
I’ve always liked the set-up where a main character comes into the story struggling with something to begin with and is forced to put it aside in order to deal with other worldly situations. Disturbing Behavior has such a character and an equally great premise to throw him in and help to exorcise his demons. Unfortunately, the end result makes for a fun enough film, but one which was destined to get lost in the deck of other teen thrillers of the day.
The Package
There’s nearly a half-hour’s worth of deleted scenes and an alternate ending on hand, which focus on character and manage to take things to a deeper level. Had David Nutter’s original director’s cut (which also included a more powerhouse ending with it’s sad, dark comment on friendship) seen the light of day, Disturbing Behavior might have had a better chance at becoming something more than just a minor cult classic.
The accompanying commentary with Nutter offers enough behind-the-scenes information about how the movie was made, while the tone in the director’s voice shows he’s still a bit understandably disappointed with the outcome of his film.
The Lowdown
Horrible editing aside, Disturbing Behavior does have a definite midnight movie feel to it that makes it a worthwhile venture overall.
Disturbing Behavior is now available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
