****
Director: Hal Hartley
Cast: Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan, Merritt Nelson, John MacKay, Edie Falco, Gary Sauer, Matt Malloy, Suzanne Costollos
Expecting a pretty standard early 90s romance, I was pretty surprised with the turns that this film took. It starts off with a bratty, neon-clad, bubble gum cracking teenage girl who finds herself pregnant to an asshole football jock. Her parents think she is a slut, and she's kicked out of the house rather unceremoniously after her father dies of a heart attack that is somehow considered her fault. She comes in contact with an equally dysfunctional, somewhat rebellious electronics whiz who hates his job but is too lost to do anything about it, and thus the story begins.
This movie isn't so much a love story, but about two people that have formed a bond over their struggles to cope with their own separate problems. They help each other change and deal, and the interesting contrast comes in their age-- Shelly's character being only 17, while Donovan plays a man in his early 30s. Donovan, however, seems much more childlike as the movie progresses, and where it ends up is somewhat of a surprise and a mystery.
An entertaining film, particularly when it comes to the role of the families. I never would've found this movie if it wasn't for this project, but I'm glad I did. Definitely entertaining, even if it does have some cheesier moments.
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