Regionrat

There is a saying in the artistic world that is as old as Jesus Christ Himself and it's the following: "The book is always better than movie." And it makes all the sense in the world. How couldn't it be? I mean, the book always has far more time to breathe and to grow, developing the characters and the story in a superior manner-the movie (most of the time) doesn't have the timeframe to have the same impact and that's all a matter of format, regardless of the quality of the filming crew and the actors. But every once in a while comes a movie adaptation that does well and you end up having a warm feeling from within. A feeling that things were done right and you truly appreciate that if the book is a special darling of yours-that was the feeling that I had watching Javier Reyna's independent movie, Regionrat. Regionrat is not only Reyna's debut film as a director (and man, what a debut!) and an independent film at that, considering how these low budget films don't have a lot of monetary resources, but it's also based on Richard Laskowski's fantastic novel of the same name. So when heard this film was going to come out in early 2018, I was both excited for the prospect of seeing it on the big screen and I was also dreading they were going to mess things up. But it wasn't thankfully not a rude awakening. Reyna's adaptation maintains the same plot basis: our main character, a teenager named Ray who is a bit of a pothead, has been struggling in a modern Seattle city and has to return to his old hometown, a depressed place called The Region, where he ends up meeting his old friends once again and all the bad habits that made him leave the town in the first place. One of the advantages of adapting Regionrat is the fact that the plot is extremely straightforward, so there aren't lots of twists and turns to change, adapt or whatnot-it's almost like you have a straight line and you just have to follow suit. But still, kudos to Reyna: a movie adaptation for a debut film and a good one at that is not too shabby for a first time feature director; he took all the main elements of the book and gave the movie that slightly somber and street-wise feel that was necessary to make a competent and decent adaptation. But obviously, most of us don't pay much attention to the filming but to the actors. How did they fare here? Well, the cast is quite decent, it has to be said, but it's Connor Williams as Ray who steals everyone's thunder and gets all the plaudits for his excellent performance. Playing a teenager is always a difficult task for all the emotional issues that it has; now imaging playing a teenager with issues from his past, drug issues and behavior issues. Playing Ray can be a pretty demanding task and if his character doesn't work, then the entire film can turn into a monumental flop-it's his story and he should have the spotlight in that regard. Thankfully, Connor does a fantastic job and he is the film's major positive, so there's that. A good film with a great performance from the main man is always going to have a major impact on the viewer and that is the case with Regionrat. Overall, this is a pretty good film. Is it better than the book? Of course, but it shouldn't be, either. It's a fun and well-done movie that has a lot of heart, a great work from a starting director and Connor Williams carrying the team on his back from time to time as the main character. I would say that's a good enough adaptation.

I have read the other reviews & although they have some validity to what they think, the is their right. I went with an open mind because I live in the "Region" and have all my life. I am not sure what year the film is depicting so I could not relate to the going's on in the film. The film is intense, and irritating, the lead although coming across as (somewhat) intelligent makes a lot of really dumb decisions. I am not going to say more you should go see it. I think you will come away with your own opinion. I found it very well done and most of the actors were good in their parts. The lead Connor Williams did an outstanding job. Actually he pretty much carries the entire movie. Both on screen and in V/O. It was a surprise to see the author and Connor at the screening I attended (in The Region) , It was also a plus that we had an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the film. I think Independent Films need to be given more attention to the industry. Look how Steven Spielberg started. I also appreciate the Organization that put this film on for us to attend. I hope they do more of this type of event.

This a film about a teen in a Northwest Indiana wasteland who ultimately breaks free of his childhood friendships (and enemies) to finally live his destined path. But not before going through the angst of adolescence. This was a well-acted, ensemble film with amazing cinematography as well as touching closeups.

After reading the other user reviews, I really question how anyone can give this film a 9 or 10/10 unless they are part of the cast or crew or have some type of close relationship with the production. The production went so far as to brag about its "reviews" on its Facebook page. This isn't a bad film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is not worth wasting about two hours of your life unless you are really into indie films and can watch it for free. Don't be fooled by the obvious attempts to inflate the ratings of the movie by those who are most likely associated with the production.

I saw this film with my wife at a screening in Northwest Indiana, aka the Region. My wife had read the book and was interested in seeing how it adapted to the big screen. She was very happy with the result. I went in not knowing what to expect. Having lived in the Region my entire life, I thought it would be interesting to see how accurately the era was portrayed on film. The area has for decades been riddled with pockets of despair since the decline of the once strong manufacturing base of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. The tough reputation of the residents has always been equal to the compassion they display in taking care of each other. Over the years that compassion has slowly been tempered by a touch of despair that nothing will ever really get better. I was pleasantly surprised by the authentic depiction of the characters. Connor Williams' performance as Ray is truly outstanding. He depicts the reticent attitude so common with people growing up here in the 80's and 90's. He is believable and comes across as truly authentic to the Region. This film probably would have a wider audience appeal if the relationships were depicted more like those in a Mentos commercial or even "Good Will Hunting" with it's fairy tale happy ending. However, that wouldn't be authentic for the region any more than it was for Southie in Boston. True authenticity makes a much more powerful impact in a story, even if it isn't as palatable to the masses.