20th Century Women

Movie Name: 20th Century Women
Year of Release: 2016

Director: Mike Mills

Stars: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Lucas Jade Zumann, Thea Gill, Waleed Zuaiter, Alia Shawkat, Alison Elliott

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9
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Synopsis:

After the wonderful "Beginners", director Mike Mills returns with another opus based on his life, this time around focused on his mom and his growing up in California during the late 70s. The film follows the story of Jamie, a 15 year old growing up in Santa Barbara in 1979. He lives with his mom, Dorothea, in a large house that they're slowly renovating. His mom has rented two rooms to two very different individuals: the young artist by the name of Abbie, who's recovering from cervical cancer is one of them, the other being the hippie William, who is also a fantastic mechanic. Jamie is deeply enamored with his best friend, the beautiful Julie, who is slightly older, and has already started exploring her sexuality (except with Jamie). Dorothea, who grew up during the Depression and has been one of the first women to work in commercial aviation, has divorced Jamie's dad and has been on her own for quite a while. She worries about his upbringing, and brings this group of residents and friends together to help her give Jamie a better perspective on life.
Mike Mills has managed during the course of his brief filmography to build a universe that is very much his own. His stories are deeply autobiographical, but they transcend the mere illustration of the past - they are far from nostalgic trips to his memory vault - they are meditations on what makes family more than just biological ties. His films are poems to the people who shaped him up to be the way he is, and that ends up being a metaphor for a lot of the relationships that people shape with the ones that are closer to them. "20th Century Women" in particular focuses on the women in his life, and how they had such a deep impact on his capacity to relate to women and build relationships with them (amorous and otherwise). Every single woman in this film is clearly outlined, and has an inner pulse and ambitions, something that gives this film a nuanced and compelling narrative. All the actors in this film excel, particularly Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning. They bring warmth, humor, edge, heart, and make this film utterly watchable. The cinematography from Sean Porter is beautiful, as is the wonderful and eclectic assembled score. A fantastic film worth watching.