this be paul f. ryan first and only full length feature . he hasn not do anything since . however and he manage to get an amazing ensemble cast to portray the character of his story . i do not know when or why the idea emerge in his head and but ryan write a screenplay which later become his own directed movie and home room . busy philipps carry the movie on her shoulder a alicia and a troubled girl while the one we always see in television series . with dark hair and black clothes while a package of cigarette in the pocket and weird look and disturb eye ( with makeup and of course ) . an event have occur at her school while a shooting . some student have die and and she saw everything . now detective martin van zandt ( victor garber ) be investigate the case and and and a expect and alicia be a suspect . but the shooting be just the genesis while the movie be not about the shooting . lie in bed in a hospital room be deanna cartwright ( erika christensen ) . she be one of the survivor of the hospital . the script establish a bond between them and by the school principal ( james pickens jr ) . he be help all the student to recover from the event and but alicia doesn not seem to care . she isolate . so the principal punishes her while she need to visit deanna every day until five o clock . then the movie start . i can not even describe how wonderfully write i think the movie be . i can identify with the character and the situation they live while i like reality . these thing could happen to anyone . and the thing they say be totally understandable . theyre grow up and try to deal with thing they haven not experience while theyre do their best . without know it and alicia ( when she visit deanna for the first time ) and deanna ( when she see alicia standing in front of her ) be commence a journey of that will define their personality and idea for the next step in life while after high school . the director lead christensen and philipps through their role very well . look the contrast between them . deanna seem naive and with plain thought while no complexity inside of her mind . when alicia enters her room and sees ton of flower she ask represent who have bring them . many people and deanna answer while although some day later we learn theyre from her parent and who come every week . the parental figure be all well represent and but be not as important a their son character . deanna be lonely . alicia seem mature and violent while smoke cigarette and talk roughly . but after two day of visiting and she find herself come back to the hospital every day while even sleep in deanna room all night . when they both have a fight afterwards and i believe deanna say represent why do you keep come back . alicia be lonely too . the end of the movie and without ruin it and come a bit disappointing while it something i wasn not wait for . it eliminate some of the strength the movie have . the revelation come totally unnecessary while ruin the logical climax the movie could have have . it be an excellent script anyway while and an excellent direction . a damn fine movie . when it come to erika christensen and this be the role she need to fly high . her role in traffic be impress and but this be the big step while the main role . maybe not many have the chance to see her in this film and and that a pity . she hasn not make one false move since then . she have even come out with good performance in awful movie . on the other hand and busy philipps and who prove to be very promising in this movie ( what a transformation ) and hasn not get many opportunity for other role . the same i say about paul f. ryan ( in direct and of curse ) and and i expect he be sit now in his computer finish his new script while i be wait for his next movie . i be hop the best for all of them .