A biting coming-of-age comedy, "Sassy Pants" is a fabulous addition to my list of new adult films worth checking out.

The story is set in what appears to be a moderate income area of Southern California, in a home that is seemingly trapped in the mid-nineties (caller ID, cordless landline phones, giant computer monitors…I love that the director decided to do this just to show how trapped the kids really are, even though it is stated several times in the film that it’s 2011). Bethany (Ashley Rickards), the film’s oppressed teenage heroine, lives in a world surrounded by pink—clothing, wallpaper, linens—all pushed on her by her prudish mother June. She is forced to earn her high school diploma via home school, and we watch her pathetic excuse for a graduation ceremony where she is crowned the valedictorian—of a class in which she is the only graduating member. Just when she thinks she may have a chance of fleeing the grasp of her mother, she finds out that she has already been enrolled in an online college to earn her bachelor’s degree in accounting. 
So she runs.

Bethany goes to live with her gay father and his much younger lover played by Haley Joel Osment. Yes, you read that correctly…the cute kid from “The Sixth Sense” playing and flamboyant, jean-shorts wearing gay man. And he does it wonderfully—he was by far my favorite part of the film. While there she learns a little about fashion, a little about friendship, and a lot about relationships and what makes them work (or not work). 
The story is very character-centric, and we get to watch Bethany grow from a sheltered teenager—who isn’t allowed to even attend public school let alone go out and socialize—into a confident young woman who knows what she really wants out of life and works hard to get it. We get to experience her first act of rebellion as she hops on her bike, speeding away from her horrendous life. We watch her fall into a “mall culture” when she gets a job at a Forever 21-esque store, thinking that she will have a chance to express her love of fashion and make a few friends. We watch her fall into a state of despair when nothing seems to be as she perceives, and we get excited with her when she discovers a place that can nurture her true calling and help her grow into the person she so desperately wants (and deserves) to be.

To me, this film encapsulates every emotion that a post high school girl will encounter. Although the story line might not be the same, the feelings are. It serves as a wonderful reminder of what it’s like to try and discover yourself when you are left floundering in a world with no structure, and how damn satisfying it feels to finally go after those things that you so desperately want for yourself. Highly recommended!

Check out the trailer below, and find it on Netflix or I-tunes when you're ready to watch!