Hurt

Ended up catching this disturbing and affecting Canadian movie like most people did, on late night pay Tv.

Coming from an abusive household myself, maybe I was a little bit more sympathetic to the characters than most people would be. I do agree with other reviewers that the visual representations of their abuse were a little over the top and heavy handed (re: the screaming while on the swings scene). But the performances were just so universally excellent from all the teens, that I really got caught up in the story regardless. The three teens felt like real friends, and their reactions to everything that happened, considering the difficulty of the material, was nothing short of amazing.

In fact, the rest of the cast is excellent as well, with a special mention going to Darla's father, who gets just the right mix of crazy, selfish, and loving to make him feel real.

Ultimately, this movie is emotional, and I found myself crying at the end like many others did. Coming from that type of abuse in my childhood, I sat watching, thinking hopefully there was a positive end coming for all these characters.

Yet this is not a Hollywood film, and no matter how much I hated it, the ending was perfectly appropriate and honest. I have read many people who disagreed with the way it all played out, but to me it felt like the ultimate symbolism, and something that happens far more than any of us would like to admit

Quite simply, the movie is a hard watch, but for those who enjoy true emotional and realistic filmaking, its a gem. A movie that refuses to cater to the moral code (especially with the ending), and is all the better for it. Whether its morally responsible or not is a judgment call.