Cherry

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.

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.

I just came from a screening of this movie at Western Michigan University where they filmed parts of the movie. I was so surprised and entertained by the movie. As a native Michigan resident, I loved that it had a homey feel based on how much of the landscape and buildings I recognized. The scenery is beautiful; Michigan in the fall, but maybe I'm biased. The movie is relatable on many levels and can be enjoyed by by anyone. It centers around a young man's experience his first year at college. But anyone can relate to themes of breaking away from the norm, standing up to one's parents and having crazy fun times. I really 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.

I love this movie. I really do. And maybe that's because of my earlier personal experiences in life, but I find this film so relatable. The acting is great, the story is brilliant and I am proud to say it's my new favorite movie (and my previous one was American Beauty).

It's a gem and unfortunately it will never win an Oscar even if it deserves one. It brings out so many emotions in me. I've cried both times I've seen and that's not usual for me.

Now that I've raised the expectations through the roof you might not find it as awesome as I did, but I can assure you it's worth the watch. My words however aren't sufficient enough, my words don't make this movie any justice, you have to see it to understand why it's so great.