Junior adapts to life as movie heartthrob

“Most girls would give their left boob to go out with that guy.”

Mitch Reinholt is that guy.

The quote is from the documentary “American Teen,” which stars Reinholt, a junior majoring in biochemistry.

Reinholt said the movie is a documentary about five high school seniors in Warsaw, Ind., showing the ups and downs and struggles of teenage life.

“It shows how we break the label of the average teen,” Reinholt said.

The movie debuted in limited release on July 25, but due to its success and critical acclaim, the movie was released nationwide. “American Teen” appeared at the Sundance Film Festival this past January where it won the Directing Award, and later the film received nomination for the Grand Jury Prize, one of the festival’s top honors.

The film
In the film, Reinholt serves as, what he calls, “an accessory character.” He helps tell the story of several of the other characters. But the audience sees much of his story as well, and the movie ultimately tags Reinholt as “the Heartthrob.”

He is one of five different teenage personas portrayed in the film along side the popular Megan Krizmanich, the jock Colin Clemens and the emo geek Jake Tusing.

During the course of the film, Reinholt also dated the rebel Hannah Bailey before breaking up with her through text message.

But don’t get the wrong idea.

“We still talked after the infamous text message, and we ultimately decided that we work better as friends,” Reinholt said.

Before being cast, Reinholt said director Nanette Burstein interviewed students from about 10 different schools before finally deciding on Warsaw High School.

Even then, he had no idea he would be a major component of the film. The director followed 15 students throughout the school year, ending with more than 1,200 hours of footage that would be condensed into a 90-minute film. In the end, the director told Reinholt that he was open and willing to talk.

“She said that although I was popular in school, I wasn’t cocky about it,” he said. “I was just myself.”

Reinholt said he believes the film has some important overall messages.

“It proves that stereotypes of teens don’t mean a lot,” he said. “What I found is that I have so much in common now with everyone involved. It is also helpful for parents to see both sides of their actions towards their kids. But it also shows that nobody has a picture perfect life, and that you can always make it through.”

Reinholt’s mom, Lisa Reinholt, said she learned about the other kids in the movie that she didn’t know before.

“I didn’t realize the pressures they had,” she said. “Kids make good and bad choices, and it opens your eyes about teenagers in high school.”

IU’s movie star
Reinholt said he had an amazing experience on his two-month summer press tour. He spent the time living in Los Angeles, attending movie premieres and meeting celebrities on the red carpet.

Reinholt said he’s managed to keep in touch with several of the celebrities. At one of the “American Teen” screenings, Reinholt sat next to John Krasinski, who plays Jim in the TV show “The Office.”

The two spoke for about 20 minutes, and after the screening Reinholt said Krasinski asked him “so, I’d love to see and feel what that’s like?” in response to the quote about giving up a left boob.

At IU, Reinholt is almost like a mini celebrity. Students have recognized him on campus as the “American Teen Heartthrob.”

Reinholt is classified as a celebrity and actor on Facebook. His group has more than 1,000 members, and he continues to receive fan e-mails as well.

“I love that people care,” Reinholt said. “I always try to reciprocate that same feeling.”
But when he meets students on campus, he’d rather not be identified as the heartthrob from American Teen.

“It’s flattering to be recognized, but I usually try to be myself saying ‘hi, I’m Mitch. Nice to meet you,’ as opposed to ‘the heartthrob’,” he said.

Reinholt said he’s embarrassed about his heartthrob status.

“I’m more of a geeky jock,” he said.

Lisa Reinholt said she believes her son’s heartthrob status is a good reflection of him.

“He doesn’t like to be called a heartthrob, but he really is,” she said.

Junior Benjamin Freeze, one of Reinholt’s friends, said the film did not capture Reinholt’s true personality.

“He’s laid back, but I think they portrayed him as more passive,” Freeze said. “They tried to portray him as someone that would do what everyone else said, but he’s not like that. I do think it captured his wit though.”

He said he was uncomfortable speaking with his friends about the release of the movie. Reinholt explained friends would spot him in previews and on posters, and all their responses toward it were positive.

“I think it (the film) shows that there is so much more to each person,” he said.