It seems like teens have video documentation for every moment of their lives, so it's not surprising that they talk so freely in the documentary "American Teen." Having a camera around is, like, no problem.

Although these definitely are 21st-century kids, the profiled individuals and their concerns also have a timeless feel. After all, high school never changes. The student population consists of the jocks, nerds, popular girls, social outcasts and other types familiar from both our own lives and endless Hollywood teen comedies.

Extremely self-conscious teens worry about everything -- from acne to getting a prom date -- and every little problem is magnified into a huge crisis. That's why "American Teen" definitely seems familiar as it profiles several individuals at a high school in Warsaw, Ind.

Director Nanette Burstein clearly won their trust, because they make soul-baring statements that don't always put them in a flattering light.

There's occasionally the worrisome suspicion that some of them are performing for the camera in what seem like semi-staged situations. Even though "American Teen" has much more integrity than the standard reality television program, it doesn't entirely escape that sense of real-life people who are all too willing to expose their inner demons to a national audience.

Another worry has to do with editing so slick that messy teen lives are conveyed according to the narrative conventions associated with feature filmmaking. The occasional animation sequences are meant to illustrate thematic issues in a young, viewer-friendly manner, but they also make serious themes appear glib.

Those worries somewhat mar "American Teen," but they ultimately don't ruin an incisive documentary that tracks an interesting demographic assortment. The profiled teens include Hannah Bailey, an artistically aspiring girl who can't wait to escape from her small town and discover whatever it is she wants to do with her life; and Megan Krizmanich and Ali Wikalinska, who are so pretty and so popular that they're at the top of the social pyramid.

There's also Mitch Reinholt, an athlete who must decide whether to safely stay in the popular circle or venture into a social boundary-crossing romance with Hannah; Colin Clemens, a basketball star whose aspirations for a college scholarship turn into anxiety owing to a high-pressure dad; and Jake Tusing, whose self-proclaimed nerd status is backed up with everything from acne to a video game fixation.

Their contrasting personalities and nervously funny interactions provide enough melodrama to fill their senior year and also the movie's 95-minute running time. As in a John Hughes fictional comedy from the 1980s, this non-fiction film has colorful characters whose interwoven stories are entertaining morality tales.

Although older viewers are likely to conclude that high school life has remained pretty much the same, they'll note that dating couples today break up via text message. Grade: B

"American Teen" (PG-13) opens Friday, Aug. 8 at area theaters.

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