Short Takes Short Takes (November 10, 2004)

Parent-teen tete-a-tetes

Is there anything teenagers dread more than having a heart-to-heart talk with their parents? Apparently, the answer is yes.

In a recent survey by the National Mental Health Association, teens said they need more communication with parents in order to succeed. Parents who spent 15 minutes a day talking and listening to their school-age children are rewarded with offspring who get better grades, have fewer substance-abuse problems, and are more likely to attend college, the association reports.

While the survey runs contrary to conventional wisdom -- that most teens would rather attend a John Tesh concert than give their parents a clue about what's going on in their lives -- the NMHA cautions that parents' and teens' perceptions of the same conversation can differ substantially.

In other words, those sullen monosyllables and slammed doors may translate to, "Why, mother dear, I'm so pleased you are taking an interest in my social life! Yes, that surly punk idling his car in our driveway is my new boyfriend. I shall now withdraw to my bedroom to reconsider our future."

Chilling documentary

"Oil on Ice," a documentary film by Dale Djerassi of Woodside and Bo Boudart of Atherton, makes its San Francisco debut Sunday, November 14, at the Castro Theatre. The film delves into the Bush administration's controversial efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Viewers are likely to be dazzled by the wondrous landscapes teeming with wildlife, but a word of caution: Those of you who are still licking your wounds after last week's presidential election might find yourself breaking down and sobbing uncontrollably watching a segment in which Sen. John Kerry -- long before he was a presidential candidate -- denounces the administration's oil-drilling plans from the Senate floor. Ouch ...

The screening begins at 11:30 a.m. at 429 Castro St. Tickets run $8 to $10 and can be reserved at www.filmarts.org.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.