Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, left) shows Seth (Jonah Hill, center) and Evan (Michael Cera, right) that he is now McLovin in Columbia Pictures’ Superbad © 2007.

Superbad, a film directed by Greg Mottola and produced by Judd Apatow, has proved itself to be the best film to accurately portray the male high school experience; years of exploration, experimentation, the struggle for acceptance, and the temptation of sex.

In the last weeks of their senior year, the kind, shy Evan (Michael Cera) and heavy, raunchy Seth (Jonah Hill) are best friends preparing for their separation at college. Seth didn’t get into the college Evan did and the two have had this separation in the back of their mind since they received their letters. During home economics class, Seth gets paired up with his crush, Jules (Emma Stone), and he and Evan are invited to a party she’s having that night. In the middle of class, their other friend, super-geek Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) tells Seth and Evan he’s getting a fake I.D. and Seth allows Fogell to come only if he get alcohol to bring to the party. Seth informs Evan that this party will be a great opportunity to get laid before college.

Later, Evan’s crush, Becca (Martha MacIsaac), tells him she’s excited to know he’s coming to the party and asks Even if he would be able to pick her up her favorite drink. Fogell shows up with his fake I.D., identifying him as McLovin, a 25 year-old organ donor. Seth and Evan grow skeptical that his I.D. is realistic. When the police (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader) show up at the liquor store after it was robbed, Seth and Evan assume Fogell is being arrested. The two flee the scene and take off in search of alcohol so they won’t disappoint the girls.

What makes Superbad’s screenplay so funny is that it’s not brilliant or complex, but a simple story about the meaning of best friends. The film is crude, raunchy, occasionally idiotic, but at the same time, it’s smart and mostly realistic. There were a number of jokes in the film that had the audience and I laughing to the point of dry-heaving. I have never laughed so hard watching a film.

The only way that a screenplay about high school life could be this accurate is if high school students wrote it themselves – and they did. Seth Rogen – who also plays one of the idiotic policeman – and Evan Goldberg were childhood friends that started writing the screenplay when they were 13 years old. The story and main characters are somewhat autobiographical to Rogen and Goldberg’s high school experience.

Director Greg Mottola and the young actors mesh extremely well with the screenplay, making Superbad one of the only “actual” teen comedies that I think plays out well in every aspect. Superbad may be the “Animal House” of the high school world except that things are taken very seriously. The film emphasizes the importance of drinking and sex to high school students even though the characters at the end are realize that maybe these things aren’t so important, but it’s sticking with your best friends to the end.

Superbad is very specific in the audience that it appeals to and that is the young high school male or crude-minded adult. Any other type of audience that views this film will probably fail to see its importance in understanding the high school reality and may walk out before realizing the film’s important themes and sad conclusion.

Rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a fantasy/comic violent image - all involving teens.

Running time 114 minutes.