Cherry

I had the pleasure of seeing this movie at SXSW this year, and even briefly go to meet the filmmaker - all and all, I really like this movie.

There's something personal to this coming of age story that we can all relate to - our first time. Our first year at college, the first time we thought we were in love, got our heartbroken, failed, followed our dreams, stuck up for ourselves, etc.

The story is simple - our hero, Aaron, starts his first year at an Ivy League school. It's his first chance to get away from his controlling mother, who has planned most of his life, and he can now follow more of his own dreams. He struggles a little bit with making friends and making the grades, but doesn't start finding himself until he meets single mother, Linda, and her daughter, Beth.

They all struggle with acceptance for who they are and who they want to be - waiting for life to happen to them instead of making life happen for them.

This movie is fun, humorous, and enjoyable. Every performance in this movie is worth seeing, from the acting to the film making. If you have the chance to see it, I recommend it.

Delivers a great message about the messiness of humanity, contrasted with the precision of science. Great performances by the 14 year old and the college roommate. Smartly written. Polished story.. and funny too.

Writer/director Jeff Fine normally works in TV so this was a departure.

And a good one. Cherry is a solid piece of film-making, and is recommended by this reviewer.

Stories about nerds are not as easy to do as it would seem. Assuming you can set up the character properly -- and Kyle Gallner is wonderfully cast and wonderfully scripted -- you invariably end up with a conundrum.

Either the entire screenplays turns into a comedy (Revenge of the Nerds, American Pie) or you end up awash in pathos.

I am not going to reveal which route Fine takes other than to say he does a good job of avoiding the normal speed traps. Although, typical of these kinds of stories, the first and second Acts are better than the finale.

Laura Allen steals her scenes and is someone every guy wishes he had met in college.

Very unusual role for an early Britt Robertson -- she usually plays the lead, not second fiddle. But a solid performance as always.

This is NOT one of those mindless, titillating, gratuitous fluff films that one might think. I'm not saying I don't enjoy those from time to time, but this is a great little coming of age film. Something I always enjoy when done well, and this one was. From the casting to the acting to the story line, this a winner in my book.

Some reviewers are talking about Oscars for this movie, let's just not exaggerate, I'll admit it's an entertaining movie but not an award winning one, not even close to an Oscar. It's an easy watch, something where you don't have to think too much. Some reviewers cried apparently, and I wonder why as there is nothing to cry about. I had some laughs though, there are a couple funny scenes, not hilarious ones but good enough to put a smile on my face. The acting was convincing, from the whole cast. Not sure if the sexes were the other way round if people would still think it's as lovely for a story but that said Cherry is worth a watch.