Falling Like This

Like a first crush, the film and it's characters seduce you and then take you on a journey towards tragic inevitability. The success of the film is largely in part to the character of Boyd, an innocent bad boy who can't help his good looks or having a criminal for a father. Boyd can't help stealing cars and Katie, a good girl in highschool, can't help falling in love with him. Dani Minnick's script beautifully captures the essence of a first love and the extent to which people will be willingly led down a dangerous path, particularly when the leader is sweet-natured and has no malice or ill intentions.

Deceptive in its simplicity, the film captures the delicacy of a first love and the fragility of impressionable youth. Minnick elicits beautifully natural performances from her young stars.

Falling Like This is about two teens, lost in the maze of youth, who find each other as the only safe ground in their lives. There is no need for depth of reasons why they are lost, so many teens go through similar experiences while trying to adjust to their lives. The portrayals are outstanding. Brian Vaughn portrays the delinquent you like, and Megan Wilson is the girl who doesn't try to change him, but accepts him for who he is. The supporting cast portraying parents and friends fit the mood of the story like a glove. Both sets of parents have their problems, as do friends of Brian and Megan. The best comment I can make is that all have worked so well together that this film is believable, a kudo hardly given to many movies. You will feel right in the middle of the story, not just as an observer.

I thought the movie was pretty good. I loved Brian Vaughan playing Boyd as the classic bad boy and the interaction between the characters was explosive, obsessive, turbulent and unusual, which made the story more real. I loved the character of Boyd's laid-back mother and her reaction to Katie and Boyd's relationship--pretty cool despite it all, though a bit unrealistic because she handled it a bit too well. The characters of Katie's parents and Boyd's friends could have been played up more though--they were cast into the background or skipped over quickly. Additionally, Katie's reaction to Boyd's actions sometimes was too nonchalant, as if it didn't concern her in the least. What made this film great was the dynamic cast, the charismatic bad boy character that Brian Vaughan played very well and the rough, gritty photography because this film didn't need all the sugar-coating and super-smooth filming some other movies have to depend on to make it interesting. Overall, I'd give the movie three and a half out of five stars.

This film was beautiful and intelligent. It brought back so many of the feelings I had myself at that age and in love. The actors were so amazingly natural, at times I wondered if I was watching a 'reality' film - especially during the scene that takes place in the bathroom between Megan Wilson and the actress playing her mother. The mistletoe scene and the scene with Brian Vaughn and the baby were flawless and I was moved by a tide of bittersweet emotion watching them. I loved the score too, it complimented the film perfectly.

I am surprised and dismayed by some of the criticism in the reviews here. I thought the writing/dialogue was smooth, original and realistic. The story line was wonderfully simplistic - a young girl looks back at the sweet and sometimes turbulent relationship with her first love. I was enthralled with both of the young characters, but I was especially enchanted with Katie because of the strength and intelligence of her character. I do agree with the reviewer that compared Brian Vaughn (Boyd) to a young Brad Pitt - I found myself thinking the same thing throughout the film. I also believe the pacing and the length of this film were superb - a perfectly timed glimpse into the lives of two people that touched each other tenderly.

I watch a lot of movies, and this is definitely one of the best I've seen. It reminded me of "The Virgin Suicides" because of it's dreamy and poetic feel. I was touched deeply and I can't wait to see more from the talented Dani Minnick. I urge the reviewers to watch the film again, there were so many slight nuances in the film, you may not have caught them the first time. This isn't your run of the mill glossy teen film that Hollywood has been burping out for the last several years - it's much more perceptive and raw. I plan to view it again as soon as possible.

Minnick's FALLING LIKE THIS, that aired April 12th, 2002, is a film way ahead of its time. Shot digitally on a shoe-string budget, it nevertheless has plenty to offer in terms of technical proficiency and acting. The biggest draw, however, is the way the story unfolds.

Guided by Minnick's brilliant directing, we slowly fall in love with Boyd, just as the main character does. We just can't help but to like him, even love him, despite his increasingly criminal behavior. And there is no attempt ever to make him larger than life, a superhero of sorts. Same with the main character, an ordinary highschool girl. The subtext permeates every frame of Minnick's film.

This is a film for anyone who does not need to be told what to think or feel at any given moment bur rather likes to draw his or her own conclusions. FALLING LIKE THIS should be shown in schools, specially to troubled teens that are experiencing their first falling in love.