KIDS IN AMERICA — * 1/2 — Gregory Smith, Stephanie Sherrin, Julie Bowen; rated PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence, brief sex, brief partial nudity).

Like several of its characters, "Kids in America" makes the mistake of thinking it's a lot funnier and a lot more clever than it actually is.

That's irritating enough, but then the film also tries to pay homage to such arguable movie classics as "The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles," "Say Anything," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Lady and the Tramp."

Unfortunately, all that does is remind us just how much better those films were than this lame and forced alleged comedy.

Most of the action in "Kids in America" takes place in the fictional Booker High School, which is ruled with an iron fist by Principal Donna Wheeler (Julie Bowen, unsuccessfully going against her usual nice-girl typecasting). Some students are fed up with her do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do rules — especially members of the school's AV club, who decide to speak out. That results in a few suspensions and expulsions.

So the group's unofficial leader, Holden Donovan (Gregory Smith, from TV's "Everwood"), rallies his troops to plan their revenge — which revolves around spoiling their principal's attempt at winning the school-district superintendent job.

The outcome is predictable, though, to the credit of co-screenwriter/director Josh Stolberg, it does fly by pretty quickly.

But Smith and co-star Stephanie Sherrin have no chemistry whatsoever, which makes their extended kissing scene during the final credits seem ludicrous. And what in the world are people as talented as Roseanna Arquette, George Wendt, Adam Arkin, Elizabeth Perkins and Samantha Mathis — most of whom play parents of the troublesome teens — doing in a mess like this?

"Kids in America" is rated PG-13 for crude sexual humor (mostly references), as well as some vulgar slang terms, some strong profanity, violence (including an act of vandalism), some brief sexual contact, and brief male partial nudity (a too-revealing dance outfit). Running time: 85 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com