The first time I saw this film I thought it was only a three-star flick, but like many great movies they don't really hit you until a second or third viewing. There was a lot of hype about this film in critic circles in 2001 and I think I went into it expecting something different. If you have ever seen a Terrence Malick (DAYS OF HEAVEN, BADLANDS, THIN RED LINE) film then you know the style of this picture. The cinematography is warm and rustic, filmed when the sun is just about to set.
The story is slowly paced with no real plot. The film centers on a group of poor kids living in North Carolina. Taking place during one summer, they learn a lot about life, themselves and what they want from their future. George (Donald Holden) is the main character, who's a teenage boy with a skull affliction that prevents him from submerging his head in water. He often wears a helmet to protect his soft skull. He lives with his aunt and uncle, which we find out the reason in a moving scene with George's father later in the film. He's scared of his uncle Damascus (Eddie Rouse, JUWANNA MANN) because the man is cold, distant and mean to dogs. However, like all the characters in the film, he has a reason for being the way he is and we learn about his past in a touching scene between him and George.
George's friends are Buddy (Curtis Cotton III), Nasia (Candace Evanofski), Vernon (Damian Jewan Lee) and Sonya (Rachael Handy). Nasia and Buddy are dating, but she breaks up with Buddy to go out with George, who she says in more mature. I loved the scene where Vernon and Nasia talk about why she dumped Buddy. It transported me directly back to middle school. We also get to meet other characters like Nasia's sisters and the white railroad workers who talk with the kids. The film sets up the relationships between the characters so realistically that you sometimes think that you're watching a documentary.
Midway through there's a tragic event that brings light to the characters lives and forces them to see the harshness of the real world. They all react differently and it’s a joy to experience their feelings. The dialogue is very natural but is also filled with lines of gripping poignancy. Why I wasn't stuck by this film the first time I watched it I can't tell you, but I missed the power of a coming of age tale so close to truth and real life that I'm in awe of its simple brilliance.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
