Michael's Movie Grade: B+
A beautiful and moving portrait of a daughter and mother.
This is a film where not much actually happens. There is no larger overarching story, rather we are simply observing these two characters live their lives. Yet this film is so passionate about these characters that despite this and its slow pacing, it becomes completely engrossing. It is obvious that director/writer Annie Baker (making her first feature film (though she has done extensive work as a playwright)) is drawing from her own life here. There is a strong authenticity throughout, and it is clear that she completely understands these characters and the world they inhabit. Yet despite so many specifics from her own life, this is a movie that we can all see ourselves in. It definitely full captures being lonely as a kid. We watch 11-year-old Lacey going through a lonely summer. She has no real friends and spends most of the movie as the only kid on screen. We know she feels deeply for her mom, yet at the same time we see how much she longs from a friend her own age. The one scene where she is able to spend time with a potential friend her own age is appropriately the film's most joyous moment. This scene is a true delight and puts a smile on your face. When it is over you truly feel the absence of this childhood companionship. Anyone who has ever been the only child in a world of adults will find themselves remembering exactly what that feels like. We especially feel this during the coldness of the scenes involving her mom's boyfriends. Her mom goes through multiple boyfriends through this film and none of them are able to connect with Lacey. Yet the relationship between her and her mom is incredibly touching. Though the two don't always understand each other, their love can be felt constantly. Both are broken people, yet they both make each other more whole. At the same time as this movie gets its main characters, it understands its setting just as well. This movie full transports us to a rural Massachusetts town in the 1990's and perfectly captures what a summer in a rural area truly feels like.
I do have a major complaint with this movie though. That is as well as we get to know our main characters, we don't get to know anything about the supporting characters. These characters feel more like plot points than real people. For a film that focuses mostly on making its characters and setting feel completely real, this can take away from capturing this even better.
Despite this major flaw, this is an incredibly moving and relatable movie that truly makes us feel we are right there with these characters.
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