Au Pair, Kansas

This is a very moving, intriguing and quietly funny film. It is a story about family, identity, grief and longing. Considering the low budget and limited production time, the cinematography is amazing and the production design is quite classy. The performances are impressive especially by the youngest of players. The two young brothers deliver some of the finest acting I have seen in film lately. It is the first film I have seen Tracy Lords in and she did a fine job of playing the widowed single Mom. This is a tale intricately woven which unfolds slowly, yet at the perfect pace. It is compelling, surprising and quite satisfying. It's the kind of film that stays with you and forces you to think about it and savor it. A quite well done little gem.

I enjoyed this film at the 2011 Naples International Film Festival last week. I was particularly impressed with the writer/director, JT O'Neal, who held an informative and entertaining Q&A afterwards. O'Neal is someone to watch in the independent film world. He is a wonderful storyteller, highly intelligent and very personable. The tales he told about making this film are almost as wonderful as the film itself. It is a story of seeking and finding happiness after loss. It reminds us that human beings need to play, to laugh and to love in order to get the most out of what life has to offer. The optimistic soccer nanny from Norway is the catalyst for this and you will love him. The two sons in the film (Atticus and Beau) also put in terrific performances.

I saw Au Pair, Kansas at "Action on Film" this year and thought it was the highlight of the entire week-long fest. Even though it looked like a pretty worthwhile film from the trailer, I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed it -- and it being made on a budget never crossed my mind.

The story is wonderfully unconventional, constantly surprising you with inspired moments that really hit the mark. And even though the projection conditions at AOF were less than ideal, the cinematography was clearly amongst the most absolutely gorgeous stuff you'll likely see in this budget range, certainly holding up against (and surpassing) many mainstream releases.

I appreciated the respect the script has for an intelligent audience -- clichés are thrown out the window to the point where I almost never could predict what would happen next, yet it always managed to feel like a natural (and often touching) outcome. There's a few spots that didn't resonate fully, and sometimes the slightly more goofy aspects come at odds with the more somber material, but it works far far more than it misses. The end result is a film that I really can't say I've seen anything quite like. As a filmmaker myself, there are a few things I can learn from pieces like this.

Seek it out! It's charming, funny and heartwarming. If this is JT O'Neal's first feature-length outing as a writer/director, I hope we get the chance to see many more.

I was fortunate enough to be part of a private screening of this movie along with a group of people from our local PFLAG chapter. While I must admit, I was a bit dubious about the plot and the fact that Traci Lords was in it (I kept hearing 1970's porn music in my head...). However, I was truly surprised to learn that this independently-made movie was touching and quite realistic. There was romance, and many of the actors ran the gamut of emotions, doing it quite well. The plot was wonderfully written, and even a bit surprising. I think that the actors cast were nearly perfect for their roles. The movie was beautifully shot, and played with the quality and look of a multi-million dollar blockbuster. The soundtrack went well with the scenery and is one I'd actually put on MY iPod! Best of all, this movie touched on very real, very current issues in our society. I think the writer/director did a fantastic job of keeping this aspect of the film very real and appropriate. This film made me laugh, cry, and was thought-provoking in many ways. I'd highly recommend it!

I can't recommend this film highly enough. Traci Lords has become quite the actress and brings a great performance to a woman who feels betrayed by a husband who she wonders if he ever loved her and who left her all too soon. Trying to give her boys a role model she hires a male Norwegian au pair. This is a movie about dealing with loss and coming to terms with it. The acting is top notch, the small Kansas town is charming with some great scenery, and the writing is believable.

The au pair is obsessed with soccer and it is through soccer that he bonds with the kids and much of the rest of the town. Meanwhile the mom (Lords) becomes suspicious of the au pair for a variety of reasons. One device used through out the film is that of having the husband speak both as a ghost and via video tapes. It effectively establishes his relationships with both his wife and his kids. You won't be sorry you watched this film.