It's meant to be a mystery, but Melinda (Kristen Stewart) is a semi-mute -- by choice -- because she was raped at a party. In addition to earning her the nickname "Squealer," she's understandably scarred -- scarred to the point where she narrates incessantly about how alienated she feels. (Although we know this already, because she's into art.) As after-school special fare goes, Speak is decent, even pretty good at times, but ultimately this material feels so familiar that we see every turn in the story telegraphed from miles away.