“Art School Confidential,” the 2006 Sundance-screened film directed by Terry Zwigoff, is the must-see film of the summer for any Meadows student.

The movie, released by Sony Pictures Classics, follows Jerome (Max Minghella), a new student at an East Coast art school. His goal is to hone his skills and become the world’s greatest artist like his hero Picasso. But he finds that the beauty and craft of his portraits go unappreciated among his peers who, in an attempt to please their professor (John Malkovich), seem to prefer paintings of squiggly lines and toy cars.

In the meantime, Jerome encounters an amusingly quirky cast of characters, including the beautiful and sophisticated Audrey (Sophia Myles), disillusioned student Bardo (Joel David Moore), filmmaker Vince (Ethan Suplee), regal art history professor Sophie (Angelica Huston) and failed artist Jimmy (Jim Broadbent).

The themes of this film will ring all too true for many Meadows students, mostly because it embraces and affectionately mocks the stereotypical kids you meet in art school: the vegan, the blowhard, the idealistic filmmaker and the suck-up-among others. Jerome is frustrated because his actual talent goes unnoticed in place of his poseur peers gaining adoration.

The cast really makes the movie with such all-stars as Houston and Malkovich performing at their usual best. Steve Buscemi appears in a hilarious uncredited cameo as an art dealer.

The younger cast really makes the film click; however, Minghella is wonderful as the optimist-turned-cynic artist who just wants to be famous. Myles plays Audrey like Minghella plays Jerome: with a refreshing honesty and sincerity that is rarely seen in independent films these days.

“Remember the Titans” fans will be delighted to see Suplee in the film as Jerome’s roommate and the school’s resident filmmaker. The movie he makes on the advice of an “artsy” girl he meets will have film students rolling in their seats, as it sets up every student film stereotype there is.

“Art School Confidential” pokes fun at the pretentiousness of art students and explores art, love and their eternal connection through a script that is easy to identify with. It should not be missed.

“Art School Confidential” opens at the Angelika Film Center on May 12.