Like first love, this study of the growing pains of the leather jacket-bobby soxer Brooklyn high school set of 1957 is, by turns, cheerful, confused, juvenile and never fully realized.
– Vincent Canby,
New York Times,
9 May 2005
fresh:
A small masterpiece that places the mood and general ethos of the '50s with absolute precision and total affection.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
rotten:
Not too much finesse distinguishes the script, which carries neither warmth nor particular interest for the various characters.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
26 Mar 2009
rotten:
The movie is adept at portraying aimlessness, getting at the greasy anomie that was so much a part of that time. But there is a lack of ambition, as if no one involved in creating the film wanted to cut deeper than a little double-edged nostalgia.