Now there is an excellent movie! I just took part in the vile, detestable mass culture and found something I really liked. Finally, a movie without swooshes and thuds. A real story. The characters all have inner lives that you can feel. The girl has a glorious spirit and is wildly outspoken — beautiful, too, in an understated way. Her father and stepmother are smart and compassionate. The only part that didn’t quite ring true for me was the girl falling for the doofus who got her pregnant, but it worked in the story line. I was impressed by some very moving surprises in the final scenes as well.
There’s quite a buzz on about this film, and for good reason. Kudos all around.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
(ahem) The part that doesn’t ring true for me: When she tells her parents she’s pregnant and they respond with rational, understanding, support. (yeah, right)
But I agree, a great story. Worth seeing more than once to pick up more of that snappy dialog.
You’re right about the dialog. But I think you’re wrong about the parents’ reaction: it’s what one would expect from rational, loving people. You and I simply have less familiarity with the breed, although I know they do exist.
I haven’t seen this, but I like the idea of snappy dialogue. We haven’t had much of that in the movies since the days of Bonnie and Clyde. Movies got all wet with earnestness or sleazy with exploitation soon after that.
No parent (I’m one of them) can say authoritatively what a good parent ought to do or be in a given situation. It’s a crapshoot. There aint no rule books, or shouldn’t be anyhow. Parents are people too and are entitled to get upset with their kids. God knows kids get upset with us. Nobody gets a free ride. Parents suffer, kids suffer. Parents do, however, tend to love their children more than vice versa, in my observation. I didn’t love my own parents nearly as much as I love my children, and I reckon they will say the same thing about me and about their own kids some day.
Parents have other identities, kids have other identities. It’s called life – the great free-for-all. You gotta check your piety at the door when you buy the ticket (if so inclined).