Jumping Off Bridges was the last of a half-dozen feature-length films shot in Austin that I saw during SXSW this year. I wish I could say all the films shared some vital Austin trait, or that they each reminded me of Austin in different ways. But Jumping Off Bridges has a universal look and feel: this film could have been shot anywhere, about people in any town. Apart from the Town Lake bridge, I could not tell the setting was actually Austin. Although the movie is set in the early 1990s, it doesn't drill nostalgia for that time into our heads. The teenagers who are the film's focus might be from your high school or mine. (Well, maybe not mine specifically, since it was an all-girls' school with uniforms, but you get the idea.)

Jumping Off Bridges is no glossy teen comedy. The title refers to a game Zak (Bryan Chafin) and his friend Eric (Glen Powell Jr.) have developed over the years. They take photos of bridges, then jump from those bridges into the water late at night. When the movie begins, the 17-year-olds are joined by their female friends Grove (Savannah Welch) and Lindsay (Katie Lemon). Lindsay refuses to jump, scared by the possible danger, but Grove joins the guys eagerly. The question the film raises is about what's behind the ritual, and how it affects the teens' lives.

Zak's home life has been disturbed lately—his mother has never fully recovered from some undiscussed tragedy, and in fact is getting worse. When she commits suicide, Zak doesn't know how to deal with it, and his friends don't know how to deal with him. Eric can't bear to face him at all, and Grove can't tolerate his erratic behavior. Only Lindsay manages to spend time listening to him, trying to explain gently to Zak that as much as he wants life to return to normal, it can't. Zak's brother and father can't understand his behavior, either.

While the plot description might remind you of Ordinary People, the two movies could not be more different. Jumping Off Bridges has no Hollywood good guys or villains—we can understand just about everyone's point of view. The issues in the film aren't easily resolved, and the future of these characters isn't clear.

What I liked about Jumping Off Bridges was the feeling that I was watching authentic teenagers. Writer-director Kat Candler based the basic elements of story and character on her own teenage experiences, and she's captured the dialogue perfectly. In addition, the actors are the correct age for their roles - no 25-year-old teens here - and the teens in the film are fully able to match the adults in terms of acting ability. I can think of only one scene in which the teen acting wasn't consistent and realistic, a scene in which Zak and his father argue loudly. Even then, though, it doesn't seem improbable that a teenage boy might shout in a one-note way, unable to find any other way to express himself.

Jumping Off Bridges is at its best during the small moments: Eric after the funeral, Zak trying to make out with Grove in a car, Zak's teacher dad suddenly taking a break from the classroom. The plot twists grew a little predictable at one point (I had one of those "Oh, no way. They're not ... they just did" moments), but fortunately that was temporary. The ending is satisfyingly ambiguous but unfortunately, the song playing over the final scene seemed to overwhelm the onscreen action in a way reminiscent of John Hughes films. Still, Jumping Off Bridges is a wonderfully delicate, authentic portrayal of teenagers and their families that I'd like to see again outside of the manic pace of a film festival.

Tags: Austin, Cinematical, film, Jumping Off Bridges, JumpingOffBridges, Kat Candler, KatCandler, movie, SXSW