"Girlfriend" wasn't fully all that I had expected it to be. That being said, don't get me wrong, because it is not a bad movie, far from it. "Girlfriend" is a beautifully told drama, I had just initially expected a little bit more from it. Though it was good entertainment.
The story in the movie is about Evan, who has Down Syndrome, living with his mom in a small town, where he helps her out at a diner. One day his mom doesn't wake up in the morning as she usually does, and Evan is left alone in a world, where he is coming to terms with life around him and being in love with Candy, a single mom who he went to high school with - but she is having issues with a former boyfriend, and he is violent.
"Girlfriend" is a beautifully told story about life and relationships that transcends beyond the usual shallow approach many of us actually have towards these matters, whether we acknowledge it or not. It tells the story of an innocent youth with a heartfelt crush on a woman. And it tells the story of not being "normal" in the terms of what we as a society has branded as "normal". It was a very moving story and it was nicely executed on the screen.
The cinematography was just brilliant. Lots of great camera work here, it was subtle, but still so beautiful, and there was some very emotional and symbolic images throughout the movie, that was really brought to life by the great visionary eye of the camera crew.
As for the acting, well then I think they had some nice people on the list, and newcomer to the movie industry, Evan Sneider (playing Evan) really did a great job. Thumbs up on that. His performance was very natural and believable, and it was charismatic and right on the money. But also the performance by Shannon Woodward (playing Candy) was quite good, having good chemistry with Evan on the screen. Cast as the violent ex-boyfriend Russ was Jackson Rathbone, and he was really well cast for that role, he was very charismatic and acted out that role to perfection. Playing Evan's mom, Celeste, was Amanda Plummer, who despite just having a supporting minor role in the movie, really left a great impact on the rest of the movie even after her character died.
If you like dramas that very well could have been taken straight out of our ordinary every day lives, then you definitely should check out "Girlfriend". It is a beautiful movie with a great story and a big heart. It is the type of movie that will stick with you for some time, because it was just that beautiful.
