Adolescência Perdida

It's been almost a week since I saw this movie but I can't figure out whether it's view of the world is liberal or reactionary, libertarian or determinist. One of it's central themes is the importance of discussing sexuality with pubescents, one that the movie doesn't shirk from discussing openly itself but doesn't seem to advise others to do. Whether the movie is wilfully ambiguous and trying to start an honest debate on the issues it raises or just confused itself is a moot point. A previous comment indicates that the movie was slated for release in September 2000 but I think it may have been withheld until after the Presidential election in the US, as it's the sort of thing the "moral majority" seize upon as an example of Hollywood filth, though I found it deeply moralistic.

I'm making this seem like a deeply serious movie, but actually it's main thrust is comic. It's got some excellent acting, particularly among the young members of the cast, and JJL is radiant as usual. Check it out, let me know what u think of it's moral stance if u want.

As a kid, every adult has had a time in his life that he or she was fascinated by the world of the grown-ups, but didn't know much about it. As an adolescent kid you want to know more about love and sex, but the path to adulthood can be a bumpy road. That's also the reason why there have been made so many coming of age-movies. Not all of them were very successful, but some of them sure are worth a watch, like for instance this "Skipped Parts".

When in 1963, a young woman and her 14-year old son Sam from an unknown man, are expelled from North Carolina by her powerful father who runs for governor, they end up in a small town in Wyoming. Here she continues her irresponsible life of partying and having fun, while her son discovers that the biggest part of his new school is made up by retards who don't seem to know what a book looks like from the inside. There is especially one girl, called Maury, who he can't stand at first, but who he gradually starts to like more and more. When she asks him to help her experiment with sex, they get very close and with the help of his mother they get a pretty good idea of what sex is like. But despite the fact that his mother told them to stop as soon as Maury has had her first period, they are too late and pregnancy is the result. While facing the consequences of their experiments and with grandfather's dictatorial shadow over them, Sam and Maury get help from Hank Elkrunner, a Blackfoot Indian who has become Lydia's newest boyfriend...

I guess that it needs some imagination to believe that all what is happening in this movie could actually be true. I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but sometimes it all feels a bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, this is still a very interesting movie and certainly one of the better coming of age-stories that I have ever seen. Especially thanks to the underlying story line of the double moral (sex outside marriage didn't exist, but abortion clinics were available, the totalitarian patriarch who wanted to keep his influence on his family, but didn't want them near him...) and the fine acting in this movie, this is a lot better than average. It's sure worth watching and I gave it a rating of 7/10 which is far from bad for this kind of movies.

This movie is really hilarious – but in such a special way – honestly I find it hard to wipe the smile of my face. Coming out of age stories – are something new for me – but if all are cute and funny as the one in Skipped Parts I just know that I will me watching a lot more of them. I sure never talked with adults about sex that openly as Sam and his girl – even with my parents – actually I still don't – but then I guess coming out of age is an unique thing for everyone ….

And then all of the sudden the atmosphere changed a bit and there are unexpected turns and all that – the movie makers have managed to get a whole a lot of "real life "things in events in the scenes. I learned quite a bit from this movie – then again I guess you have to be at least a bit open-minded in order to like it.

I saw the trailer for this film a few times when I was renting some movies and I thought it looked very funny. Then today I saw it at the video store. I picked it up and watched it and loved it. I thought Jennifer Jason Leigh was so hilarious in this movie and she truly stood out as Lydia, Sam's mouthy, slutty mother. Another acting standout was Bug Hall, Mischa Barton and Angela Featherstone. I thought they played there part perfectly, especially the young leads and Leigh. I was also suprised to see Drew Barrymore in a very small role as "Dream Girl". Although it deals with pregnancy and sex with 14 year olds...I still found it very entertaining and if you want to see some very good acting and a good comedy, i recommend this movie very highly. 10/10

"Skipped Parts" is a watered-down version of Tim Sandlin's novel of the same name, the first in a wonderful trilogy about Sam Callahan's and Maury Pierce's unusual lives. I recommend reading the novel(s), where the two leads are 12, not 14, in the beginning and where the Wyoming landscape and Teton Mountains are just as much characters as they are a background for the movie.

Not only is the story watered down and written for cheap laughs and tears, but the pacing is unbearably slow. Jennifer Jason Leigh is clearly not capable of doing justice to the methodically drunken Lydia Callahan, as her portrayal is really more of a caricature than a character; and Tim Sandlin sadly did little justice to his own novel in this screenplay by down-playing Sam Callahan's inner life as innocent, hopeful commentator on the action of the novel/movie. Much of his biting and insightful humor is lost by removing Sam's commentary.

Read the book. It'll take more time, but feel hours shorter than this movie felt.