Sunday, March 18, 2007
This morning's movie
A wonderful surprise this morning. One of those movies that people 'in the know' apparently know is a really good movie - well-written, well-acted, nicely filmed, charming. It's proof that a script can have a point to make, yet do it with such a light touch that you don't feel preached to and are completely engrossed and entertained. It's an intense and interesting drama, and also a portrait of middle class American family life in the late forties and fifties. It's a gem. See it if you can.
Our Very Own opens as a silly young Natalie Wood in one of her first films (she was about 10) is pestering the men putting in the family's first television (in case you don't remember that home tv is only a few generations old). Soon we meet the parents (played by Jane Wyatt and Donald Cook) and the focus of the story, Gail (Ann Blyth). Gail is a fairly typical slightly giddy high school senior rushing around with friends and making lots of plans. When she mentions that she needs her birth certificate to apply for a job, Natalie Wood's character pulls down boxes until she finds it - and blurts out her discovery that Gail is adopted. Gail gets very upset, gets furious at her family, and insists on meeting her birth mother. Perfectly played by Ann Dvorak, Gert isn't a bad person in any way just someone with a different focus and emotional awareness than the Macaulays.
As Gail and the others work out their feelings, the script allows them to experience and interact with each other as they might actually do. Strikingly, wonderfully, they seem to have no fear of walking on eggshells as more contemporary characters so often do (not to mention real people!), and they show awareness of each other's concerns, with kindness. Plus, there's no stacking emotional decks by having 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. No one is horrible and no one is perfect. Everyone is realistic, showing trust, respect and caring to the others, just how we ourselves would hope to be.
One more thing. Although it's calmer and more adult than similar films today, in many ways this script could have been written an hour ago. There's even a nice light brush of social history provided by Gail giving a speech about citizenship at her graduation. There are students of several races in the graduating class and people from all walks of life, just like the real world, so when she makes a parallel between belonging to a new country and to a family, it's perfect.
Our Very Own opens as a silly young Natalie Wood in one of her first films (she was about 10) is pestering the men putting in the family's first television (in case you don't remember that home tv is only a few generations old). Soon we meet the parents (played by Jane Wyatt and Donald Cook) and the focus of the story, Gail (Ann Blyth). Gail is a fairly typical slightly giddy high school senior rushing around with friends and making lots of plans. When she mentions that she needs her birth certificate to apply for a job, Natalie Wood's character pulls down boxes until she finds it - and blurts out her discovery that Gail is adopted. Gail gets very upset, gets furious at her family, and insists on meeting her birth mother. Perfectly played by Ann Dvorak, Gert isn't a bad person in any way just someone with a different focus and emotional awareness than the Macaulays.
As Gail and the others work out their feelings, the script allows them to experience and interact with each other as they might actually do. Strikingly, wonderfully, they seem to have no fear of walking on eggshells as more contemporary characters so often do (not to mention real people!), and they show awareness of each other's concerns, with kindness. Plus, there's no stacking emotional decks by having 'good guys' and 'bad guys'. No one is horrible and no one is perfect. Everyone is realistic, showing trust, respect and caring to the others, just how we ourselves would hope to be.
One more thing. Although it's calmer and more adult than similar films today, in many ways this script could have been written an hour ago. There's even a nice light brush of social history provided by Gail giving a speech about citizenship at her graduation. There are students of several races in the graduating class and people from all walks of life, just like the real world, so when she makes a parallel between belonging to a new country and to a family, it's perfect.
Labels: adoption, movies, reflections
Permalink | 
| posted by jau at 9:20 AM
jau — at 7:40 PM, March 18, 2007:
| posted by jau at 9:20 AM
2 more:
jau — at 7:40 PM, March 18, 2007:
And I look forward to your review now. I wouldn't have thought of it as a teen angst movie, although if I were 18 I'd see it that way. I'm also curious as to whether someone who adopted children might like this movie. Let me know what you think, when you watch it next time.
Best wishes to you, too.
Best wishes to you, too.
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Best wishes, Laura
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