Kelly & Cal

I liked the movie. Lewis does a fine job of bringing the post-baby struggles to life and Weston who is not actually a spinal cord injured person put in a strong performance that brought the post-injury fears and acting out to the screen. Still not sure why the movie companies don't actually hire disabled actors to play those roles but instead spend hours of training to get an able-bodied actor to fake it. There are people with disabilities who seek to act and often when they land a role there is acclaim heaped on them. There are certainly some gaps in the film but overall the girlfriend and I enjoyed it.

Kelly (Juliette Lewis) is a former musician turned suburban mom. She hasn't had sex with husband Josh (Josh Hopkins) for 6 months since the birth of their baby. She is uncertain about her new life and struggling as a new mom. She befriends wheelchair-bound flirtatious neighborhood teen Cal McCullen (Jonny Weston). She's hounded by her in-laws Bev (Cybill Shepherd) and Julie (Lucy Owen).

There are some funny moments like her friends with pictures of a dog. There are poignant moments. There are tough moments. There are awkward moments. It all adds up to an uneven movie. Juliette Lewis is terrific transitioning between the emotional turmoils. I wish this was something simply with Kelly & Cal starting a band. The filmmaker seems intent on going for a higher degree of difficulty and don't quite make it.

"Kelly and Cal" is mature-exploration drama with satire comedy and forbidden-and-hidden romance. First question, is this family genre like being noted in many film website? Definitely, not! In first 15 minutes, this film has promising opening, In the middle, when relationship between the older woman (Kelly) and the younger man (Cal) starts weaving, please, It almost disgust me, but thank God, in last 30 minutes it turns out to be it should be. This film has a good and authentic message for you, a new-turned mother, to keep behave. And in this film, it's a real show. But it wouldn't be good if Juliette Lewis and Jonny Weston didn't do their best in this movie.

An excellent "little" movie. The story of a friendship between a new mother and a young neighbor in a wheelchair. The trailer gives a much brighter image than it actually is. And it's better than the trailer. It gives a bittersweet atmosphere all along that takes guts. A film that speaks to young parents, first love, the passing of time, the mourning to do. Simple and touching.

"Kelly and Cal" is one of those movies that starts out in an amazing way. We get to know our main character, Kelly, who is fresh from having a baby only six weeks earlier with her husband and is feeling exhausted and overworked. In comes the hilarious, handicapped teenager living next door who serves as the antidote to all her problems. They have laughs, drink beer, and start to build a relationship that is more meaningful than anything either of them have had in a long time. But though it starts off well (maybe even excellent) it soon deteriorates in a slow decline that ends when the credits roll. And the disappointment wouldn't mean much if the film hadn't given you a taste of what it could've been, but unfortunately, it does.

Some of the best scenes at the beginning include the two of them bullshitting and having a great time talking about their problems, and nothing more than that. All either of them needs is a friend or simply just someone to talk to. But the movie turns into something it shouldn't be, something that's extremely cliché and never needed to happen, a romance.

Just like so many other films, we see them start to connect and their forbidden relationship ensues. She has a husband and a baby, he's under 18, I think you can see what's coming. And frankly, it doesn't work. It tries to become emotional, possibly pulling at your heartstrings, but by the time that happens you could care less. There's so many moments when I was cursing under my breath hoping that the movie wouldn't go down the road it does.

And what's even worse, the two leads are great together. Juliette Lewis (Kelly) and Jonny Weston (Cal) have so much potential that is wasted, and try their hardest to work with the been-there- done-that material, but even they can't save the film. It's a huge letdown, and one that stung.