| Our Song |
While he made an intriguing directorial debut with GIRLS TOWN, a 1996 semi-improvised coming-of-age portrait of a trio of young urban females that netted him the top prize at Sundance, Jim McKay has carved a career as one of the more influential independent producers of the last half of the 1990s. Via C-Hundred Film Corporation (formed with Michael Stipe), he has made public service announcements, music videos and produced films like Tom Gilroy's SPRING FORWARD, award-winning shorts such as Lisa Collins' TREE SHADE, and terrific documentaries including Chris Smith's AMERICAN MOVIE and Hannah Weyer's LA BODA. But there's cause for celebration, because McKay has returned to the director's chair, helming his own script for a gemlike independent film called OUR SONG. While some detractors may feel that he is repeating himself because this film revolves around a trio of young girls -- Jocelyn, Maria and Lanisha impressively acted by Anna Simpson, Melissa Martinez and Kerry Washington, respectively -- the truth of the matter is that McKay has only grown as a filmmaker. OUR SONG is a richer, more mature, if still slightly flawed, work. Shooting in a pseudo-documentary style, but working from a tightly crafted screenplay, McKay focuses on three high school friends in Crown Heights, Brooklyn who are spending the summer hanging out, shopping (and shoplifting), and participating in the Jackie Robinson Steppers Marching Band. The film simply unfolds as the girls cope with the little traumas of daily life, whether it's facing the closure of their school because of asbestos or negotiating the terrains of romance and sex or simply hanging out together. Undoubtedly, one may ask, "Why would I want to see that?" Well, the answer is, to witness a rare slice-of-life that focuses for a change on the female perspective. It's amazing that McKay, a thirtysomething Caucasian man, could create these full-bodied, believable Latina and Black teenage girls but he has. Unlike some filmmakers, he does not condescend or preach. McKay also amazingly captures the familial interactions between mothers and daughters in rich details. Jocelyn, who has aspirations for a career as either a singer or an entrepreneur, has a nice relationship with her mother (Rosalyn Coleman) who sometimes seems barely a grown-up herself. Maria, who learns she's pregnant and sees it as an excuse to leave the band and school, is resentful of having to shoulder the burden of looking after her smart-mouthed brother and often fights with her own mother (Carmen Lopez), signs that don't bode well for her own path as a mom. Lanisha arguably has it the best of the three. Despite her parents' divorce, her mother (the wonderful Marlene Forte) and somewhat unreliable father (Ray Anthony Thomas) clearly have her best interests at heart. McKay beautifully captures the subtle changes and nuances that lead these young woman to begin to stake their claim in the world. Cracks in their relationships begin as Maria confides about her pregnancy to Lanisha but not to Jocelyn. For her part, Jocelyn has begun to pull away from the others when she is accepted by other girls from the band who invite her out for ice cream. As the film ends, school is about to begin and Lanisha and Maria come to a parting that definitely signals a change in their friendship. In a wordless end-credit sequence, Washington and Martinez eloquently capture that and the result is heartbreaking. While there are some minor flaws in OUR SONG, it is a rich work that introduces three extraordinary young talents (Kerry Washington has already become the breakout star with roles in SAVE THE LAST DANCE and LIFT) and marks a maturation in filmmaker McKay. While he remains an important force in the independent film scene, he has stated his desire to focus on writing and directing in the future. If he continues to make the kind of leaps and bounds he has from GIRLS TOWN to OUR SONG, film goers will have all the more to cheer about. Rating: B+ |
| © 2006 by C. E. Murphy. All Rights Reserved. |