Cheats

Cheats was a very light-hearted, fun, mischievous film that cemented my "earn your grades" attitude. I was once caught for cheating and not only was it the most humiliating and embarrassing experience of my life, it was also the most shameful. I suppose it comes from my Catholic mother, but guilt is an intense and very motivational emotion.
While other kids "waste" countless hours of studying just so they can get a mark in some teacher's report book, Handsome Davis sees it as nothing more than a system of control over your mind. That's why Handsome and his three best friends Sammy, Victor and the cribsheet genius Applebee have banded together and found ways to cheat on their tests all through their school years. Everything had been going along smoothly until the gang entered their final year of high school and the stakes were upped by the school's principal, Mrs. Stark. If they get caught cheating again Stark will make a note in their permanent records- ruining their chances of getting into college. But Handsome convinces his pals to pull off one last, great cheat to outsmart Stark and the system, even if it means possibly destroying their friendships.
The best thing about this film is that it was actually based on a true story. Many of the events in the story really happened, including the scene in which Handsome starts bashing the lockers and ripping off his shirt when Harkin accuses him and his friends of cheating on the test. The real Applebee refused to take part in the documentary based on the actual Cheats, and as such his name had to be censored whenever used, which is actually discussed in the film.
This movie was not a huge success at the box office, but to the counter culture it reached, it earned high marks. It was just a well done movie, with a great story driving it, as always.