SunBreak at Sundance 2011: Take Four

by Audrey on January 27, 2011

Little Birds is the coming-of-age story of two girls who live near the Salton Sea (which is beautifully filmed, btw). Lily (Juno Temple) and Allison (Kay Panabaker) have been best friends since they were little kids, but now that they’re fifteen, Lily is starting to act out, while Allison is still content being more child than woman. When Lily meets a skater boy from LA, she wants to run away to see him there, and Allison, being a dutiful friend, is bound to accompany her. Of course, excitement and trouble ensues. Writer-director Elgin James definitely knows the film’s territory well (having been a street kid and a member of a gang himself) and he obviously has a great appreciation for strong women, but I know Thirteen and you, Little Birds, are not Thirteen.

Still from “Little Birds” (Photo: Justin Colt)

Little Birds was merely meh, but I Melt With You was just plain lousy…which I kinda expected. Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, and Jeremy Piven (as per usual, playing Jeremy Piven) are college buddies who reunite once a year to catch up and act like they’re back in college. Now that they’re approaching age forty-five, they’ve all got their personal problems, but that doesn’t keep them from cutting loose in Big Sur with a shit-ton of booze and drugs. And had this movie just been about a week-long bacchanalia, it would have been shallow but fun. However, about halfway through, the film’s tone shifts wildly, and suddenly it becomes dark, maudlin, and self-important. What a joyless chore.

Filed under Arts & Entertainment, Film & TV
  • the kid

    Did we see the same movie? I adored “Little Birds”. It may not be the usual megaplex fare, but the performances were incredible. I really think this movie could click with twenty something hipster types.

    But you are 100% correct about I Melt With You.

  • Audrey Hendrickson

    I’ve heard others say they really liked it too, but it just didn’t work for me. I felt it was predictable, and I’ve seen that kind of story a million times before. Really, I’d say that in general, coming-of-age is kinda a tired genre.

    And let us never speak of I Melt With You again.

  • what?

    I loved little birds too. I didn’t think it was predictable at all. Totally saw myself and my (ex) bestfriend in it. And to be honest, I though thirteen was more about scaring adults, than actually disecting a relationship, which is what I think Little Birds was about. If it wasn’t so heartbreaking I’d say you should see it again. But I know I personally couldn’t go through the stress again. All in all I thought it was one of the best representation of women at the festival, Pariah I guess as well, but that was harder for me to relate to. imho.