Dori Lawrence (Rachael Leigh Cook of "Josie and the Pussycats") is a young actress, songwriter, and lead singer in a rock band. Well on the road to real fame and, unfortunately, schizophrenia, Dori’s onstage meltdown and subsequent off screen gang rape certainly catapult her toward mental instability.

Mark Deloach (Jonathan Tucker of "The Deep End") is a fun loving, somewhat rebellious 17-year-old. He pulls a prank on a stuck-up friend, Sue Dubois (Agnes Bruckner, star of "Blue Car"), while she makes out with her boyfriend in the back seat of a car. A DWI accident results in Sue being badly injured and a priest at the high school (Ed Begley Jr.) paralyzed, with Mark facing jail time. Mark finds his way out of trouble when his high powered but distant and abusive father, Joe Mantegna, intercedes. Dad, between pulls on his oxygen mask and drags on his cigarette, uses his influence to trade jail time for Mark for his enlistment in the Marine Corp. By the way, this film is based upon a true story.

Sue’s derisive mother (Carrie Fisher…the type of mom you might not take out to dinner on Mother’s Day) confronts her daughter about her promiscuity, while she recovers from her injuries in the hospital. Mrs. Dubois promptly arranges for Sue to be transferred directly to a mental facility. Sue’s roommate is Dori, and it’s in this setting that Mark first meets her.

Over time Mark and Dori develop a friendship and eventually become lovers. Mark starts to get his act together in the Marine Corps, with the help of kick butt Sergeant Drill Instructor Skeer (Val Kilmer of "Wonderland"), while Dori slips deeper into her mental illness.

Eventually what is best for Dori is for Mark to break off all contact with her. The truth is he needs her more than she needs him. Dori loves Mark but because of her mental illness, she does not know how to process the complex feelings that are involved in the relationship. Mark returns to the US (Stateside) after serious injury in Beirut, and Dori’s mental condition has improved; only now can this romance have a possible happy ending. We’ve revealed a bit more than we usually do about the story, but the real value in the film is understanding why Dori, Mark and Sue act and react as they do at certain times.

While this is a soft R film (not much nudity or f-word language), it has a grittiness to it that reminds us of "Girl Interrupted," for which Angelina Jolie won her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Its depiction of teen drinking might serve as a cautionary tale to parents who see a teenager that is showing signs of substance abuse, mental dysfunction or severe authorial pushback, that the time to do something is now rather than later. Sometimes just talking with the youngster is enough. Keep the lines of communication open. If necessary, you may want to get the help of a facilitator for those conversations, a psychologist or a social worker.

George’s Take: Start the film with music suited to a teen TV show, some seemingly empty eyed acting by Cook, and you might write off "Stateside" as lightweight when compared to other R rated coming of age films, such as "Thirteen" and "Sweet Sixteen." But hang in there, and as in the film "Spider," with Ralph Fiennes, Rachael Leigh Cook takes us to a place that most of us do not understand because we are not mentally ill. In addition, Jonathan Tucker helps us determine where Mark’s head is as he goes through intense military training. I know from personal experience the circumstances of basic, advanced and officers’ candidate training for a solid year. This can be good or bad, as that experience influences both your military and personal life.

Pam’s Take: This is a film that is uneven in tone. It is based on a true story, and at times I got the impression that the writer was delivering verbatim experience and dialogue. That’s not always best nor the most interesting. That’s not always interesting. Sometimes a little creative license is called for. Not a lie¾ simply a retelling of a scenario. I particularly liked Rachael Leigh Cook’s performance of detached disorientation as a schizophrenic.