The Sterling Chase (1999)

Director:

Tanya Fenmore

Writers:

Jeremy Dauber (story)
Tanya Fenmore (screenplay)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It's not all Pomp and Circumstance...

Plot:

Three college students compete for an award that will determine their future.

Plot Keywords:

Graduation | Deaf | College | Lesbian | Lawyer

Cast

Andrea Ferrell	...	Melissa
John Livingston	...	Matt 'Bunz' Bernstein (DJ, U-BNZ)
Irene Ng	...	Cathy
Sean Patrick Thomas	...	Darren
Jack Noseworthy	...	Todd
Devon Odessa	...	Chris
Nicholle Tom	...	Alexis
Alanna Ubach	...	Jenna Marino
Gary Wheeler	...	Dean Huffley
Terry McCrea	...	Wolfgang Boy
Tony Devon	...	Mr. Marino
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefano Altieri	...	Pizza boy / pizza delivery guy
Yuri Bershadsky	...	Java House Server
Jeff Cambron	...	Chadley Glee Club
Terrence Crummitt	...	Wolf Club Boy #3
Tim Crum	...	Student
Loren Davidson	...	Recruiter
David Day	...	Chadley Glee Club
Lee Downing	...	Mr. Jones
Jann Ellis	...	Mrs. Jones
Jill Fitzgerald	...	Mrs. Delton
Ryan Goldsborough	...	Angela's Date
Jennifer Hagerty	...	Cute Coed #2
Nell Johnson	...	Aunt Jones
Michael Lamothe	...	Chadley Glee Club
Todd Little	...	Chadley Glee Club
Mark Matkevich	...	Barry Marshall
Juanita Moore	...	Grandma Jones (voice)
Thomas Murphy	...	Bradley
Cyrus Newitt	...	Brighton Grp Ptr
Jay Nickerson	...	Senator Delton
Sean Oliver	...	Wolf Club Boy #1
Carlos Rios	...	Chadley Glee Club
Rene Rogers	...	Angela
KaDee Strickland	...	Cute Coed #1
David Stys	...	Chadley Glee Club
John Talardi	...	Brighton Grp Recruit
Bill Thompson	...	Frat Boy #2
Tracey Todd	...	Girlfriend
Bryan Waller	...	College Student
Greg Wood	...	Interviewer

Also Known As:

Graduation Week (USA) (alternative title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sex-related dialogue, and for some nudity.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R (certificate #36536)

Filming Locations:

Bryn Mawr College - 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Indyssey Entertainment

Movie Connections:

References With Honors (1994)

Soundtrack:

Bleed

A unique look at the entering of the real world ...

There is something unique about The Sterling Chase; it is almost devoid of any cliches. Oh sure there a couple of cliches in one of the romances (but when is romance not a cliche?), but usually a story involving young adults calls for lazy, lazy writing. Everything is black and white, the author's attempt to gray areas end up being transparent and obvious, etc., not in this film. Something is brutal and honest about this fictional college for the rich, elite, and intelligent. Each one the characters up for the school's most prestigious award is no carbon copy. Their turmoil is not your simpleton's teenage angst. Dawson's Creek never saw problems this realistic. It isn't so much in the originality of their problems because of course, teens and young adults all suffer similar problems, but it is how they react and deal with these problems. When the story can go the soft, predictable way, it takes a sharp left and drops another bombshell on these troubled kids. I wouldn't go as far to say it is unflinching, because it is not. But the script doesn't pull all of its' punches either.

The most impressive thing about the script is that these kids don't talk like idiots, they talk like bright kids, aware of many things but unaware of true and honest human relationships and the real world. All of these characters are at a crossroads in their lives as they finally leave all of their securities behind, it shakes them to the core and they all have to find a way to deal with it. But in their quest, there are no truly stupid actions, immature decisions, or contrived conflicts. It is so rare to have a "teen movie" rely on character development, but this film attempts to focus on how these kids are feeling, why they are feeling it, and use that feeling to feed the story and move it along. For the most part, the film succeeds.