Friday, April 11, 2014

"Flipped" with Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe (2010)

If you have ever been a hopelessly love besotted teenager then this movie will strike a chord with you. It is a film about missed opportunities and words unspoken. Bryce; played by Callan McAuliffe; moves in next door to Juli; played by Madeline Carroll. They are both about 7 years old. Juli falls for Bryce immediately; a passion not shared by Bryce. This sets them both up for about 6 years of beating around the bush before the inevitable comes to pass.

Juli is relentless in her pursuit of Bryce, to his utter dismay. This quirky girl is involved in things beyond his limited imagination. For instance, she sees the beauty of the old cypress tree which sits at their school bus stop. When it is slated to be torn down, she does something about it. She climbs the tree and refuses to come down until her father is called to get her. Bryce could have lent his support but doesn’t, giving in to some peer pressure regarding Juli’s being different.

When Bryce’s grandfather Chet, played by John Mahoney, gets involved in helping Juli to repair her family’s run down garden, Bryce begins to see a different side of her. But he is still too immature to understand his feelings about Juli, so he doesn’t act upon them.

The movie is told from the perspective of both Juli and Bryce; with each one recounting their version of the same events, all of which lead up to a beautiful ending. This is a film about love, families, and pre-conceived notions and above all, taking chances. Sometimes the very thing you want is so close that you cannot see it.  Rob Reiner has given us another perfect film.

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