Chasing June

I watched this movie because it had an unbelievably high rating. I did not realize it was only from a couple of reviews. The acting was surprisingly good but the story and the dialogue was really basic. I found this movie to be slow, boring and unrealistic. And what decade is this supposed to be? They don't have cell phones? I was shocked to hear that they were supposed to be only 15. The initial friendship seemed completely random. They presumably all grew up there and went to the same school so I don't understand how they didn't really know each other before but then just all of a sudden decided to all be best friends. This doesn't seem like it was written by somebody who has any idea of what a modern day American high school is like. It's an unrealistically wholesome movie. An adventure like this anytime within the last 30 years would have had at least a hint of danger in some of the scenarios they found themselves. It felt like a lifetime movie or, better yet, and after school special if you're old enough to remember those.

Everything from the writing to the acting to the cinematography to the music reminds me of growing up: not feeling understood, first love trying to find my power in the world. It doesn't waste time, but it doesn't feel rushed either. I laughed, I cried, and I said "awwwww" a bunch.

There's a wonderful nostalgia about it as its set somewhere in the late 90s to the early 2000s. The main characters come from different families, but find balance in each other, yet even that balance isn't all they need as they discover on their journey together.

There's a string fondness for what we learn when we're young, but with a gravity for how it shapes us as we grow, not as the end of growth. Can't recommend it highly enough.