Every once in a while a movie comes along that changes the way you feel about cinema. A film that is so intriguing, groundbreaking, thrilling or wonderfully sincere that watching it is like seeing your favorite movie for the first time. Warning: “Disturbia” is not that film.

Opening with some scenes of father-son bonding during a fishing trip taken by 17-year-old Kale (a grown-up Shia LaBeouf) and his writer father (Matt Craven), the clichéd good times the two share don’t last long. “Disturbia” wastes no time in tuggin’ on the ol’ heartstrings and kills off Kale’s father before you can take your first sip of cola.

Then the transitional moniker of “one year later” hits the screen. It’s obvious things haven’t been going well for Kale. Once happy, vibrant and outgoing, he’s become a depressed and mopey introvert since his father’s death. So when his Spanish teacher asks him what his father might think of his behavior in class, it’s logical what should happen next: Kale lands a punch square in his face.

With his violence getting him a summer of court-ordered house arrest, Kale is set to fall out of touch with friends and have no fun (man, what a drag!). This boredom is ensured when his mom (Carrie-Anne Moss) takes away his video games and cancels his iTunes. So what else is there left to do? The answer is simple. Grab the binoculars, scam on the new hot neighbor (the painfully attractive Sarah Roemer), and accidentally see your sketchy neighbor (David Morse) commit murder.

Now wait a minute…something seems all too familiar here. Wasn’t this “Rear Window?” Wasn’t it adapted to the suburbs in “The Burbs?” Well yes, that’s exactly what it is. And this wouldn’t even be that bad of a film if it was in some way paying homage to the Hitchcock classic or putting a new spin on the thriller genre. But the problem here isn’t just the blatant plot rip-off, or the script that seems ripped from the pages of the “scary campfire story section” in Teen People. Oh no, there’s just so much more.

Playing along with the recent trend of the complete and utter drought of creativity in mainstream Hollywood (fingers crossed for “Norbit 2”), “Disturbia” is a shoddy attempt at even mediocre popcorn entertainment. Boom mics can clearly be seen peaking into the top of the screen in several shots, dialogue is often choppy and unrealistic and character development outside of Kale is nowhere to be found. It’s clear what the studios were thinking of when they received this screenplay from the writer of such classics as “Xena: Warrior Princess:” This ought to be an easy way to make a buck.

However, despite the film editors, director and writing staff’s intentions, there are some bright spots here, namely the acting. While “Disturbia” won’t be winning any Oscars for innovative filmmaking, Shia and crew do their absolute best with absolutely nothing to work with. LaBeouf is believable and heartfelt as a kid who is doing his best to cope with his new family life, and Morse is pretty damn scary when he’s doing the whole “I’m coming for you!” chase around the house thing.

But by the time the last plot hole is dug and you’re past the halfway point (meaning you’ve figured out the ending), any of this film’s strengths are nowhere near enough to save an otherwise hackneyed, hastily produced, poorly written attempt at a genre “Disturbia” obviously doesn’t understand. Save the 10 bucks and rent some Hitchcock.

You’ll thank me later.