Everyone Loves Alice

The effect of divorce on children is such a well-tilled field that one approaches Richard Holbert's film with some trepidation. The acoustic guitar soundtrack at the opening, and the Raggedy Ann - faced protagonist seem to warn of yet another sentimental cinema cliche; but Everyone Loves Alice neatly sidesteps the predictable and develops into a moving, yet ironic comment on a social malaise. Told entirely from the twelve-year old's perspective, we see Alice's world as one inhabited by loving, self-absorbed, unreliable adults. No one is all good or all bad. In fact, the entire society seems riddled with instability produced by the epidemic of failed marriages. Even the hopefulness of Alice's budding adolescent romance is undercut when juxtaposed with her parent's chaotic emotional warfare. Director Holbert maintains tight control of his material. The competent editing and camera work, coupled with the remarkably strong performances, make viewing Everyone Loves Alice a fresh, evocative experience