Girls Attitude: Modes d'emploi

Girl in _Progress is actually a very simple, straightforward story about a young girl doing her best to cope with her own adolescence as well as her not-much-older mother who, in actual fact, is doing almost the same thing. Due to her history (harsh, non-understanding mother), Grace (Eva Mendes), is desperately trying to find the love that she didn't get when she was Amiestad's age - and why shouldn't she?

I suspect that this movie is a lot closer to real life than a lot of viewers realise. Teenagers forget that their parents have given them the very best years of their lives form the time they were born right up to the time they think they know everything - and then some more! Fortunately Amiestad realises this a lot sooner than many kids her age but not before hurting her bet friend unforgivably (even though her best friend DOES forgive her!)

In this film, mother is only about 34 or 35 and still a beautiful woman who has the very same needs as her daughter - although her daughter (initially) totally fails to recognise that fact. Like many teenagers, she thinks that the world revolves around her - but it doesn't and, at least in this movie, she finds out before it's too late.

I would suggest that this should be compulsory viewing for all adolescent kids but I fear that, in a lot of cases, they would shrug their shoulders and just say, "Whatever!"

As Ned Kelly said when told he was to be hanged at ten o'clock the next morning, "Such is life!"

This comedy-drama about the Mexican family living in America talks about a girl who wants to be an adult in a short period of time. With the usual teen comedy, the story goes all around showcasing a girlie side of mischievous behavior. This was not a great teen movie, but acceptable. It's just letting us know what happen when teens are not supervised carefully by their parents. Clearly to say, it briefs the differences between maturity and the word opposite to that.

A struggling poor family of mother-daughter's life is not getting better, instead becomes worse everyday. Grace (Eva Mendis) has been busy all day between her two jobs and a relationship with a married which put her daughter, Annsiedad in a negligence state. Since Annsiedad's mother is not giving any attention towards her, she grows a rebellious character within. One day she decides to become an adult by discarding all the childish character in her once she had experienced them all. So she makes a list to encounter 'coming-of-age' and leave behind her childhood. The plan won't end, according to she arranged. Takes a diverted path and the conclusion of the story is what delivers a message for parents who is so careless of their children.

''So now I'm free to fly. And I hop on a bus to adult-ville. My coming of age story is complete. Roll end credits. Bring up the house light. I am not a kid anymore.''

The whole first half was like a silly teen movie with usual narration and there is nothing special about it to highlight. The humors that is not really funny kind of stuffs. Maybe we get used to it for seeing in every teen movie. The last quarter is what makes the sense, a lesson is to learn from it, for that you have to watch the whole movie. Teens want everything to be done so quickly, slow and steady is not meant for them. In such a concept this movie happens which reminds a proverb 'Rome was not built in a day'. The casting was good, both, the mother character played by Eva Mendis and her daughter's was shelved very well. After seeing a fair end scene I thought the script should have had a little stronger in the initial portions to balance its overall strength. Anyway, an average movie, but can be enjoyed if you are not too serious about what you want to watch.

Yes, I am aware that some members gave this film a low rating. They were wrong. No disrespect. Wrong happens.

1000 reasons why this "coming of age" vehicle should not have worked. Including the fact that it has been done before, hundreds of times, and this was yet another "Canadian" production (supported by the Canadian tax system) meant for the small screen and not really intended for an A-List rollout.

But sometimes everything comes together and you end up with an exceptional result:

* the script is superb. It is not enough that the daughter wants to accelerate her "coming of age" to rebel against her mother, she actually researches the topic and deconstructs it, creating a roadmap to maturity which of course is a roadmap to disaster. Clever! And innovative.

* the acting is to die for. Eva Mendes may give the best performance of her life here. Cierra Ramirez steals every scene not otherwise nailed down and several that are. Arquette as the sympathetic school teacher sells it bigtime and makes us all wish we had a teacher like that in school.

Really a great film, one that succeeds way beyond its aspirations. It is ironic that, for example, this reviewer took flak from members for ripping apart THE DUFF (a horrific A-List movie) but little gems like this often get lost in the shuffle.

Highly recommended.

I watched this movie last night and thought it was a great movie.

The movie starts off slow and a bit quirky. At times it even feels like it is trying to hard to be something its not. Then somewhere in the middle, it drops the quirky and the story develops. I became invested and began to care for the characters.

The acting was good. Both main actresses do a great job in their roles as mother and daughter. As an educator myself, I see these types of mothers and daughters almost every school year. It was nice seeing their story be told and also one from Latin roots.

I would recommend this movie because at the end of it all, you leave the movie with some thoughts and emotions tied to the characters.

Good film.

I feel this is a knock-off from Spanglish. Which, that was a far better movie.

However, this was a good movie as well, with its own struggles and such.

I don't know why reviews has to be so dang long.

Girl in Progress, is a good movie. So go ahead and watch it. What more can I say?

I suppose returns and extra spaces don't Makena difference in any if this??

No, it doesn't. So I will keep rambling.

I'm fortunate to know my mother never consumed her time in different men. Where I got that habit from is beyond me. Maybe because all I wanted in life was to be loved, needed and feel wanted.

Characters met, have a nice night.