WARSAW — A documentary filmed in Warsaw is set to hit the big screen this week. The movie American Teen was shot in 2005 and 2006. The director chose the small town from hundreds across the country to portray the life of the American teen.

The students were in high school when the film was shot. They're now in college and spending seven weeks of their summer break in California, New York and other parts of the country promoting the movie.

American Teen is helping Warsaw make a name for itself in Hollywood.

Dr. Tom Krizmanich said he initially thought the movie would be inconsequential, but it has grown larger than he expected.

Krizmanich's daughter Megan — billed as the "Princess" in the movie — actually turned down the first offer to be in American Teen.

"She didn't want to be bothered with it, she wasn't interested in it," Krizmanich told WSBT.

But in August of 2005, five Warsaw teenagers and their families — Megan included — opened their homes and their lives to film crews.

"They were in our car going to ball games and they would be huddled in the back with their sound booms," remembered Gordy Clemens, whose son Colin is "The Jock" in American Teen.

"I'm relying on this season to get a scholarship for basketball," says Colin in a clip from the movie.

Both the kids and their parents have already seen the movie. The other students featured in the movie are Hannah Bailey, Jake Tusing and Mitch Reinholdt.

"Some people might be surprised as to how much the kids do and get away with," Dr. Krizmanich told WSBT. "I was," he laughed after a long pause.

From the high school Jock, to the Geek, the Rebel, the Princess, the Heartthrob and everyone in between, the movie is literally about high school life in America, said Gordy Clemens.

"Our initial reaction was sure we'd want to see it because we're in it and maybe the town of Warsaw would want to see it," Clemens said. "But we never pictured a national audience would want to see it."

"You'll have to see the movie to see the rest," laughed Dr. and Mrs. Krizmanich.

After winning awards at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, Paramount Vantage bought the movie.

American Teen premieres in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, July 25. Several of those shows are already sold out. A spokesperson for the movie tells WSBT American Teen is due to be released in Warsaw next month.

After that it will be in theatres across the country.

Producers, parents and the kids themselves say the documentary is based on life as a high school student in America, but it is rated PG-13 for a couple of reasons.

There is some underage drinking and partying in the movie, but all the kids and their parents say it's not acting — just life in Warsaw, Indiana.

To watch the trailer for the movie, visit AmericanTeentheMovie.com.