I found this on a list of “Best 2012
movies, you've never seen” while floating around the interwebs and
it was no lie. Not a Hollywood blockbuster in any shape or form, but
a great watch nonetheless.
The story follows Rachel, a 15 year old
Mormon who gets pregnant from listening to music. Yep. You heard me.
She got pregnant. From music. She leaves the community to find the
singer whom she believes is the father and a wacky adventure ensues.
Think Scooby Doo. You know, preppy boy, hot girl, nerd, stoner,
talking dog. Except without any of those. Well, maybe the stoner.
With a cast of Billy Zane and a dozen
other people I've never heard of, Julia Garner (Rachel) is the
stand-out star. She played the role with a childish sense of
wonderment and drew me right in, believing she was actually a Mormon
in upbringing and had never been introduced to certain things or
experiences. It's hard to act as if you have zero knowledge of a
cassette player, but for me, it was totally real.
Buuuuuuuuuuut........
FYI, there's always a but with me.
The scene after she is introduced to
the tape deck, she immediately knows how to use it. Maybe I missed
something, but that seems a little off.
But I digress. With such a small cast,
writer and director Rebecca Thomas has done an amazing job of making
the film seem busier than it actually was. The background/surrounding
area is ever changing, giving a sense of volume and movement to an
otherwise open set. While I don't usually watch dramas, this was
definitely worthwhile as it didn't really focus on the boring
day-to-day activities that some films highlight too much, but the
journey and growth of the main character. Throughout the movie, we
see her progression and change in attitude to life, ranging from
naive 'prairie girl' to a young woman who has begun to take charge of
the road ahead.
Oh yeah. Macaulay Culkin’s kid
brother is in it. Not Kieran. Rory. Bet you didn't know there was
another one.
A fine film to watch on a Sunday
afternoon. - 3 blue cassettes out of 5
