Zelly and Me

Zelly and Me is a very good movie about a little girl's relationship with her grandmother. Isabella Rossellini is wonderful as usual as the girl's nanny, Zelly. David Lynch also is excellent as Willie, Zelly's boyfriend. With the relationships between the four main characters, the movie manages to intelligently portray real motivations in why people act the way they do when it might seem more logical to act in some other way. Zelly and Me is at times touching, but not overly sentimental. Everyone in the cast gives convincing, realistic performances.

I watched this movie in 1990 and I was just 14 years old but through the years this movie enters my mind. I tried to find it once before but couldn't find it. I'm curious to see it now that I am older. It was always a sad movie to me.

The director did understood the work of heart. She brought both good and bad sides of human beings to the screen and show us how to live strongly in this world. Isbella Rossellini did her great job of being the best nanny ever. She made us believe in love and mercy that we almost think they were lost on the way to the modern world. I also fell in love with the girl in the story. She reminded me of the day when I was young.

This movie has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but I don't know anybody else who likes it. What appeals to me is that the story is so simple but still so deep.

It is one of the biggest drama I have ever seen, but still, nobody dies, no ship goes down and so on. The drama is just the feelings of a little girl and a grandmother who "loves" her too much.

The film is very well acted (even Lynch is good) and the script is superb. There is an interesting reference in the film to Joan of Arc (the girl sees her self as Joan). In fact, the movie could easily bee seen as a Joan of Arc film.

I watched this movie once, but to me it's so sad. A strict grandmother who's only duty is to prevent her grandaughter from being rebellious like the girl's mother, never seems to provide enough love for her. When Zelly notices Phoebe burnt herself, CoCo fires Zelly, and pushes Phoebe into her parents bedroom because "she's now a big girl" and throws Phoebe's toys including her Teddy bear away. Zelly tries to rescue Phoebe, but at the last minute she and her boyfriend who attempted to kidnap knows it's wrong, and sends her back. Phoebe, must face the fact of living with her strict Grandmother, and with a pair of white socks makes a doll for herself. I do see some good parts in this movie, but it's way too sad for me to watch.