Cady's Take:

Kelly’s mother (Kathleen Quinlan) is a painter of dubious skill and his father (William Sadler) a recovering drug addict whom the boy bitterly blames for his past years of inattention and wastrel’s ways. His chosen hobby is World War II trivia and memorabilia, primarily because that's the best way to annoy his parents.

When a fellow teenage recreationist named Bart (Elden Henson, “The Mighty”) falls into his life, the two quickly become friends. This relationship offers Kelly a chance to make a play at Bart’s older sister, Tabby (Amy Smart, “Rat Race”). LeBeouf does a nearly miraculous job of making Kelly's fascination with Tabby believable, against very long odds.

With someone else in the part, Kelly might well have become insufferable even over this picture’s mere 78 minutes; but LaBeouf not only compels your attention but retains your sympathy even when you find the character’s behavior trying or ridiculous. There are parts where this coming-of-age love story just sits there and does nothing, but LaBeouf shines when it counts. In all honesty though, the movie feels more like an accomplished short than a fully realized feature.

All in all, The Battle of Shaker Heights has its charms.

“The Battle of Shaker Heights” is not a good movie. It is eight or nine good movies crammed into one 85-minute movie, which results in one movie with potential. Shia LaBeouf plays Kelly, a teenage misfit with a love of war reenactments. He becomes friends with Bart (Elden Henson), a rich kid with a beautiful college-age sister with whom Kelly falls in love. Oh – and Kelly and Bart hatch a plot to get back at Kelly’s bully. In addition, Kelly’s dad is a recovering addict, and his mom is a painter or something. Also, Kelly works with a girl his age who he ignores to pursue his dream girl Tabby (Amy Smart) even though Tabby is engaged (to a jerk that breaks her heart) and also attending Yale in the fall (most women do not marry just before going off to college, but okay). Bart’s dad used to collect war memorabilia but now he collects those Russian nesting dolls, and Bart gets jealous because his family likes Kelly so much. Sound like a lot to keep track of? It is.

The acting was good, the ideas are sweet, but “The Battle of Shaker Heights” has been done before – in lots of different movies that were better because they had WAY less plot to take care of. There is virtually no real character development in the sense that the actors always seem like they are working very hard to make their character fit in with everything going on around them. I found the sheer number of plot lines far too distracting to really ever get involved in any one, which resulted in what I feel is an earnest, but essentially uneven movie. “The Battle of Shaker Heights” can be enjoyed best while playing a board game.