How to Say No is not as didactic as others of its ilk, but instead presents a discussion-type format in which teen actors talk out situations where it is difficult to say no. Each teen relates a story about a time where they were asked to do something they didn’t want to do. The topics include drinking after football practice, smoking at a sleepover, and petting. Some of the suggestions are laughable, but the film must be credited for trying to come to terms with the fact that kids need real solutions to this problem, not just a voice of authority telling them what not to do. How to Say No is a film which possesses a timeless merit, since saying no and being true to oneself is still very much an issue today.
