When I saw this movie for the first time I really enjoyed it (apart from the tacked-on ending that appears to belong to
-
edwawee — 19 years ago(August 08, 2006 11:13 PM)
lifesucksdontit, you are clearly a simple minded person. two people can love each other despite their ages. i see nazism is alive and well in the minds of some people. matbe the "alterior motive" for a 30 year old to stay around someone younger is that the 30 year old is attracted to the person who is younger. LOVE IS NEVER WRONG!
-
hunnybunny51 — 19 years ago(October 29, 2006 12:32 AM)
When this film started and the little girl walked up to the guys trailer, I told my husband"Well, he's dead meat." These days no way can a 20 or 30-something guy have an unattended relationship with a 10 year old. But I never felt anything at all in the least creepy about their friendship. He treated her as one might treat a niece, or a family friend. Now the little girl, I'm sure, may have had more on her mind, but only in a 'my hero' sort of way, mind you. I was a little girl once. But little girls are only seeing what the world is about. It is not up to them to see that no lines are crossed. It is up to the grownup to show them how the world is, and to show them that grownups take care of those less able to take care of themselves. They don't do grownup things to or with children, even if the child would allow it. Trent didn't do that. That's why this film isn't 'utter filth'.
Actually, what didn't ring true to me, and I thought really took away from the film, was the carpet munching scene. Not because it happened, but because it had sort of a 'let's just throw this in' quality. "Look, I'm even holding a salad." Also, when the creep guy put his hand under the mother's dresswhy? I couldn't discern whether it was meant to be sexy (not), gross, (was), or to imply that the mother was a ho. Sexy is fine, even gross, if it's a building block of the story. Otherwise, maybe it's just to shock. I see this sort of thing a lot and I don't understand why film makers feel the need to do this. It cheapens your otherwise lovely movie. Ditto for the peeing on the windshield scene. Yawn. IMO.
What was wrong with Devon's 'nude scene' on the roof? She wasn't nude, she had her panties on, besides, she's just a flat chested little girl, for gosh sakes. Are these the same people that turn you in for taking pictures of your kids in the bathtub? Jeez.
Sam Rockwell was really wonderful and Mischa Barton played her part perfectly. I don't think the film was brilliant or filth. Somewhere in between, I suppose, but I'm glad I saw it. -
ludo-rubben — 19 years ago(December 04, 2006 05:01 PM)
"Actually, what didn't ring true to me, and I thought really took away from the film, was the carpet munching scene."
- Perhaps it was just to demonstrate that an older woman who has an affair with a young boy can get away with it, while the other way round is never accepted.
"Ditto for the peeing on the windshield scene." - It was on the windshield of her fathers car, it was perhaps her way to express her feelings towards her father
There was a lot of talking about Devon showing her scar, but nobody ever mentioned the fact that Devon's father refused to even look at it, even wanted to let her have plastic surgery to remove the scar. So for Devon it is very important that Trent is not afraid to touch her scar. For the girl, the fact that they both have an ugly scar (and nearly died from it) is another thing they have in common and makes them "special".
I enjoyed the movie very much, even if I had preferred a different ending.
- Perhaps it was just to demonstrate that an older woman who has an affair with a young boy can get away with it, while the other way round is never accepted.
-
superaudreysaves — 15 years ago(November 25, 2010 02:43 AM)
I see why everyone is saying things about symbolism and trying too hard but for me it didn't feel that way. Everything just felt natural and beautiful to me. Just throwing that out there
just sayin. -
lynseylinzlu — 13 years ago(September 23, 2012 04:55 AM)
i watched this yesterday and i just was interested throughout about the different things that came from it. The theme of pure innocence from both who dont realise that to an outsider it was innapropriate, to the fact that Devon is touched by the rich kid and the parents disregard this as tickling but Trent gives her a turtle and the police are involved spoke on so many levels about the hypocrocy of it all.
-
DominicJones — 13 years ago(December 27, 2012 08:34 PM)
I agree, it's really interesting what this has thrown up.
I've watched the film maybe a dozen times since it came out and it's grown more simplified and clumsy with every viewing. The first few times I thought it was an under-appreciated indie masterpiece, and I still think the acting is wonderful, the cinematography is fantastic and the two main characters are well drawn. The supporting characters are disappointingly one-dimensional and the marketing of the film was an exercise in how NOT to market a film.
The complexities of the film's subject matter is brought up with from the get-go, and there is undoubtedly an undercurrent of sexuality to the whole film, though I think that is the background that lends dread and tension to Trent and Devon's relationship, because it's just not there. Devon is lonely, she's looking for a friend. Trent seems to have dysfunctional relationships and they are brought together by circumstance and accident. Everyone in this film is lonely to some degree, and the expression of the human need to connect is only successfully realised through Trent and Devon, and the social norms (both in the film and expressed here in this thread) doom their relationship that can only end well in a fantasy world. Everything around them is ugly and shallow.
It's a beautiful but flawed film. I just wish Mischa Barton would start playing interesting characters like Devon again. And that Sam Rockwell would get the recognition his skills so obviously deserve. -
Rena_Mahone — 11 years ago(April 22, 2014 04:53 PM)
I think it was rather brilliant. I did not see anything filthy about it with the exceptions of the dog and chickens getting killed - that was disturbing.
Boycott movies that involve real animal violence! (and their directors too)
