The problem with a film like subUrbia, where all the characters are basically small-minded fools, is that it makes for an entirely annoying viewing experience. In fact, the only thing more annoying than the movie itself was the one guy in theater who was actually laughing at this mundane piece of filmwork.

Written and adapted for the big screen by playwright Eric Bogosian, subUrbia takes place in the desolate, depressing community of Burnfield, where young and old alike come off like lobotomy victims with no sense of purpose or aim to their lives whatsoever. Burnfield is the type of vacuous hamlet where you might think your life experiences make for great film-making until you wake up in the morning and recover from the hangover of youth. Most of the movie’s action takes place in the parking lot of the Circle A mart where a group of teenagers mope around drinking enough alcohol to kill the entire population of Texas, or whatever imaginary state Burnfield is in.

The plot centers around a visit from Pony, an ex-resident-cum-nouveau-rock-star who happens to be playing at an arena in town. The appearance of his chauffeured limousine and Bel Air publicist Erica, played by Parker Posey, provide the perfect juxtaposition against the dismal backdrop of Burnfield to highlight just how mediocre life in the suburban community really is. Given the added rope to hang themselves, each character seems to outdo the other in pathetic behavior.

The protagonist, Jeff, seems at least to have a sense of principal, which is a good start in building character identification with the audience. Unfortunately, this is not enough to win our hearts since Jeff tends to get the prize as the most annoying member of the group as he tosses out pearls like, "it’s my job to be angry" and "that pizza you’re eating could have fed the country of Zaire for a week." Hey, if that’s true, the eight bucks NY Rock is saving you by convincing you not to see this movie could feed the entire continent of Africa for a month. Think of this as a public service announcement.

At first, rock star Pony’s publicist Erica seems oddly displaced among the disheveled proceedings, owing to her charismatic and manicured presence. However, we soon learn that she is as lame as the rest of the crowd as she totters off with Tim, the biggest loser of the bunch, to have sex in the back of a broken down van. When Tim warns her of his self-destructive and violent qualities, Erica responds, "So teach me a lesson." Unfortunately, he can’t; he goes limp along with the rest of the film.

A few frames later, when we hear Tim confess that he has beaten Erica lifeless, the movie goes from annoying to depressing, which is actually an improvement. Even later, when we learn that it was all a joke and Erica is still alive, the movie goes back to dumb and annoying -- so much for the good times.

At the film’s end, we learn that one of the characters, a young fragile blonde named Bee-Bee, has overdosed on the rooftop of the Circle A. When she is dragged down to the parking lot, Jeff reveals that "she’s still breathing." But this is not really a relief; one less character might have been just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, no one dies in this movie -- it’s the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going ...