Spork

I have to admit I wasn't expecting much when I started to watch this film. The title and photo looked quirky however so it grabbed my interest and I decided to see what it was about.

Needless to say I watched the whole thing through instead of stopping after 10 minutes. Something about the characters drew me in. I think it was the heart of the movie and its unconventional situations which kept me watching. Also, the message at the end was actually uplifting and inspiring instead of cheesy. I think this was credit due to the writers and their wise choice of words.

One thing that struck me about this film is it shows an amazingly real friendship between two girls from black and white culture. Sometimes I feel that there is this divide between certain black and white cultures where people from the different cultures cannot really connect. But this bond between these two girls showed a strength beyond stereotypes where it was possible: Where people can look past their differences and see each other as human beings: caring about each other and sticking together despite their differences and social pressures.

Some people complained about the "booty shaking," but I feel the film was simply being true-to-life. In fact, I'm amazed that a film could show such a kind light on both black and white stereotypical behavior at the same time. Normally "booty shaking" films don't have a dorky white likable protagonist, and vice versa.

To those who were leery of the hermaphrodite theme: I wouldn't worry too much because it never gets too graphic or goes too far with it. It did however make me think about the fact that there are people out there who have to live with that condition.

This film did remind me of some others at first, like Napoleon Dynamite. I was actually expecting something like Welcome to the Dollhouse when I first started watching it. But to me this film had more heart than those other movies. It was about strength, perseverance, and staying a kind person despite bullying and having a difficult life. There was a subtle maturity about this film, and it was uplifting.

Spork (Savannah Stehlin) is a 14 year old hermaphrodite outcast. She lives with her older brother Spit in a trailer. Her best friend is black girl Tootsie Roll living in the next trailer. Chunk is a fellow outcast who tells her to be herself. Charlie has two gay father but refuses to be a fag. Spork gets bullied by the mean girls and she hits Betsy Byotch on the nose with a basketball. Betsy vows revenge. There's a school dance contest. Tootsie Roll gets injured and can't win the prize money to travel to visit her father in prison. Spork decides to enter.

This is a weird and completely original movie. This is a strange alternate take on the very familiar high school genre. It's appealing and the young actors are terrific. It has a fun energy that is awkward and stumbling. If little blonde girls doing blackface is funny, then this is the movie for you.

I'm currently an 8th grade girl, and I am positive that I'm not the only fourteen year old girl that views this film as completely unrealistic. I'm sure that NO middle school in America has students that act like that, I mean, the popular girls' hair ridiculously teased, all blonde and blue eyes? Even though its a common stereotype that all populars are in ONE clique with FIVE people ALL LOOKING AND DRESSING THE SAME, the cliché isn't true at all. Half the population of the school is made of popular kids, with hair ranging from blonde to red to brown, and eyes that vary in color also, and while they dress similar,(Hollister, Abercrombie, etc.)they certainly don't dress identical, and they don't all wear their hair all the same. There are lots of popular kids, and they don't all hang out with each other, they are in different groups, but get along well with the other groups that are as popular as they are, so it just seems like they are all BFF's. Also, winning a dance-off doesn't automatically make you popular. I know, I know, they were making the classic ending, a girl beats the bad guy and makes friends all at once,but this is just too much for me. This movie shouts out, "If you put your mind to it,everything will just happen. One day, you'll automatically just have a better life." But that's not true. If Spork were in my school, she would have friends (Because in this movie, she can't find a friend to sit with out of three hundred people in the cafeteria)Sure, not popular friends but friends. If she were to win the competition, people would politely compliment her, but view her the same way, but this time knowing that she can dance well. Winning one dance-off can't make you popular. There are tons of talented students in a middle school, and most of them are already popular. Why swoon over Spork when you have a popular boy that can play guitar solo wonderfully? Becoming 'popular' or developing trust and making true friends takes time, usually a couple months, not one week. And the popular girl running off with Chunk? WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.

I was fortunate enough to catch the final midnight screening of this at the Tribeca festival 2010. I went in with a very much half-soaked approach. The idea of a sexual discovery narrative driven by a 12 year old wasn't entirely appealing to me. But, having said that, my view was instantly and irreversibly changed.

Within the first ten minutes of the film, you will find yourself gripped by a cast matured far beyond their years, and intimate and precise direction that is often lacking in even the most impressive titles.

I wont go into the story, or why i enjoyed this film quite so much, but suffice to say, the writing is spot on. Rather than talking down to the young cast, the script really exalts them, and you feel on an emotional par with every member of the cast.

I watched a lot of films from indie festivals this year, and i can only hope that Spork gains the critical acclaim, and distribution deal that it deserves. I cant wait to see it on British shores!

This was absolutely adorable. I laughed a lot as I watched the movie. I felt I could relate to both Spork and her brother. A true underdog movie, you see a family with literally NOTHING going for them and a little person trying to make sense of her mixed gender and find a place to fit in with a society with no room for people with gender issues, poverty, or orphans. It's wonderful to see the relationships of the characters with each other develop, as well as Spork learning to love and accept herself for who she is.

I loved the bright colors, the animations, and the music. The acting was excellent. I could really sympathize and laugh right along with them. The story was interesting and it didn't drag on and on.

I recommend it to anyone who isn't afraid of people different than themselves, and even more so to those who are. Open up your heart and your mind. We don't all need to fit into a specific category or caste. We're all people too!