Poppy

Poppy is a nineteen year old girl with Down Syndrome, but that's not what standing in the way of her living a normal life and falling in love and chasing her ambitions. Her disability is actually her overprotective, alcoholic brother, who is also her guardian and her boss. This movie has the makings of being an overbearing after-school special, but it never gives into its potential for melodrama. Instead, Poppy is an uplifting love story and character study of a young girl trying to find happiness. She might be "special" but her passion for life and her abilities to work hard and be a good person in order to succeed shows that "normal" is really a just a label we put on ourselves to hide our own issues and insecurities. The writing and directing are solid and the performances, even when stiff, manage to tug at the heartstrings - a much needed addition to this year's Slamdance Film Festival.