The Sky Is Everywhere

Both light and beautiful, and dark and profound at the same time. I found this to be a magical production. It also does an excellent job of showing off Humboldt County's natural beauty.

At present the subject of grieving seems to be presenting itself in various forms. From Gervais' darkly, After Life; the realism version in Somebody Somewhere (HBO); the somewhat comedy side in, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window; and it even touches on the drinking problems for, Single Drunk Female (Disney+). All different forms of grieving that propels the character into some cathartic experience that either entertains, or emotionally drains us.

Screenwriter and author, Jandy Nelson, takes the five stages of grieving and kind of jumbles them up to present a teens world gone topsy-turvy. Through Lennie's deep depths of grieving there are sometimes dark surreal moments. But when music comes into play, (trust me, music is the best medicine when grieving), the dreamy surreal moments are so beautiful that it transports Lennie into a balanced world. These contrasts are utilized so well and used on many occasions throughout the film to show Lennie's state without having to say much.

A film aimed at the teenage market cannot leave out, teen-angst, by falling into a melodrama of some kind. Sky Is Everywhere deals with it sensibly, adding the state of emotional confusion and other teenage dilemmas into the grieving process. Not to forget the adults, Lennie's grandmother and uncle, who seem to be the cliche loving hippy family unit, who at least entertain us, and sometime enlighten us as elders should do in movies.

Through minor stumbles and faults, it still manages to successfully draw us into Lennie's screwed-up grieving world, this is mostly due to Grace Kaufman's heartfelt performance. To help us along the way is Josephine Decker's creative direction (love to see her go wild and surreal in her next project), assisted by Ava Berkofsky's bright colored photography. And on top of that is the cherry on the cream, the music by Caroline Shaw.

As someone who is over fifty, I thought this film would not be my cup of tea. But the surreal magical moments had me in Lennie's palm and I was ready to grieve in her journey, even if I did struggle mid-way through when I kind of woke up from the hypnotic dream that it had cast over me.

The sky is everywhere

The cinematography is aesthetically pleasing and well-done, from the camera twirls and zooms to the redwood trees that envelop most of the locations. Bereavement, coming to terms with loss and teenage angst as its central themes keep it emotionally charged, and are well portrayed by the protagonist (Grace Kaufman). Even though the plot may feel muddled sometimes, and the progression may seem stunted, it is a very enjoyable movie with important lessons to be learnt.

The Sky is Everywhere is a whimsical movie that tells a teenage story of loss, discovery, and love. Throughout the film, the director, Josephine Decker, happily inserts her artistic expressions with the use of imaginary landscapes that are harmoniously fused with dramatic choreography and rhythmic music.

This movie follows the dramatic evolution of its lead character, Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman). Lennie is a musical prodigy who is grief stricken from the sudden death of her best friend and sister Bailey (Havana Rose Liu). As the story twists and turns, Lennie finds herself in a whirlwind of emotion when she is unexpectedly attracted to two different boys, Toby (Pico Alexander), her late sister's fiancé, and Joe (Jacques Colimon), a fellow musician at her school.

This movie is an adaptation of the book "The Sky is Everywhere" by Jandy Nelson. Jandy is also the writer of this movie. I did find some parts of the movie to be confusing, but this may be because I have not read the book yet. Grace Kaufman's (Lennie) performance radiated. She is my favorite character because her acting is raw and alive. There are scenes in the film that will tether you towards her and scenes that will drive you away from her. Overall, I really enjoyed Lennie's spiritual journey. Other notable performances are from Cherry Jones (Gram) and Jacques Colimon (Joe). Cherry Jones portrays Lennie's spirited grandmother perfectly. Jacques Colimon gives a blazing performance as he portrays a handsome musician and love interest of Lennie's. Many of the film's scenes are set underneath a lush canopy of redwood trees with magical skylines. The cinematography is outstanding with its bold filming techniques. The cameras twirl, zoom and flow perfectly with the characters' movements. And surprisingly, as a viewer, I did not get dizzy. Well done!

The messages of the movie are to not let grief take over your life and damage closest relationships, be considerate of others with similar experiences, and embrace music. There is some profanity. There is no shown sexual content, but it is mentioned several times. Drugs are used.

I give The Sky is Everywhere 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18, plus adults. By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST!

7/10 A unique production that reflects Jandy Nelson's world and magical realism. Nature itself is one of the main protagonists (especially the Redwoods). The playful camera work was great - same goes for the editing and acting. The overcrowded color palette may be too much for some but for others an eye-feast. It was a smart choice to add comic relief throughout the movie as well as weird fairytale-like animal sounds.

The only thing missing was the title quote from Nelson's book! Why was that?