American Venus

Jenna (Jane McGregor) is a teen competitive figure skater coached by her obsessive mother Celia (Rebecca De Mornay). At the Nationals, she is overwhelmed when a younger skater delivers a near perfect skate as the heir apparent and she fails in her own skate. She decides to quit despite her mother's vehement disapproval. Years later, Celia visits her daughter who is attending college in Vancouver. She is gun-obsessed but her gun gets confiscated at the border. She is desperate to buy another gun.

I didn't expect the subject matter. When the movie starts, my main complaint is McGregor's age. I thought this is a movie about a mother daughter relationship. Then the real movie starts. The border crossing is a little funny but it's actually a wake up call for the audience. The subject matter is about to change. I'm not saying that Celia is somehow representative. I'm not saying that it is somehow profound. I am saying that it is daring to go full out with this premise. I got concerned about finding the gun in the bathroom but I love what it turns into. This is not that great but the story is as compelling as Natural Born Killers. It's just not a cool depiction of violence.