Starring: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr, Keith Stanfield, Kaitlin Dever, Rami Malek
Distributor: Madman Entertainment
Runtime: 96 mins. Reviewed in Jan 2014
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While this is a small, independent film, it has much to commend it.
The setting is a small institution, for short term internees, children 12 plus. At the beginning of the film, some of the staff stand around and one of them tells an embarrassing story about chasing one of the youngsters. There are many stories told throughout the film, and at the end, the staff are standing around and listening to yet another story.
Some of the stories are very funny, some have their sad, even tragic side.
Brie Larsen and John Gallagher Jr portray Grace and Mason, two of the staff who work in direct contact with the kids. They are also a couple. But Grace is in charge, with Mason very agreeable in working with her. A new member of staff, Nate, is introduced with the stories.
It means that there are two strands of the film intercutting each other. The first is the story of Grace and Mason, their love for each other, pregnancy and the issue of whether there should be a termination, Mason acknowledging his foster parents and the influence they had on him, and the gradual revelation of the very difficult childhood that Grace endured. The actors seem very natural in their roles and communicate their personalities and their problems to the audience.
The other strand is, of course, the stories of some of the children in the institution. One of the main characters is Marcus, an African American about to turn 18, down on life, yet stimulated by music and rap. Mason is particularly helpful to Marcus, listening, playing the drums, sharing his aspirations. The other principal character is Jadyn, a bitter young girl, prone to cutting herself, daughter of a wealthy businessmen who fails to turn up at the time of her birthday, which leads to her wanting to get out. It is Grace who relates well to her, putting up with her critical comments, and her not wanting to be involved with the other children, yet having a capacity for drawing. Ultimately, she communicates her life and her emotions, especially with her father, to Grace in a story of a shark and its devouring friendship with an octopus. After she intervenes for Jadyn, Grace is able to tell her own very difficult life story to Jadyn.
A lot of the film is ordinary day life at the institution, the meetings and notifications, meals, birthday party, yet the tragedy of attempted suicide. The party sequence where Mason and all the other foster children of a Hispanic couple join together is an optimistic and welcome relief from the day-by-day troubles and joys of the institution.
Father Edward Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, said that there was no such thing as a bad boy. Short Term 12, operates on a 21st century variation of this motto – that there is no such thing as a bad person and that friendship, support and love can gradually break through any shell that wounded persons protect themselves with. This is quite a humane and moving film.
12 Random Films…
