A Girl Like Her

I was a little disheartened reading some of the movie reviews for this feature and the overall metascore. This was a powerful indie flick that was financed through crowdsourcing on a shoestring budget. It does not have big names and doesn't need them. The kids play their parts professionally. The raw emotion is there and for anyone who has been on the receiving end of the emotional beat down that happens here, this movie should hit a nerve. It did with me. The only downsides to it are the shaky-cam effect that comes with a faux documentary. It's a bit heavy-handed, so to speak, but tolerable. Avery's Mom is a little over the top in the crazy Mom department, but I'm sure this type exists. At least it does on reality TV. Avery's Dad is a doormat and gets stepped on most of the scenes, but I don't think he truly got hurt when the mother berated him for not washing his hands after using the bathroom. I think there could have been something more compelling in that argument to side us against the Mother in addition to her other character flaws. This movie will affect you, director Amy Weber grabs you from the very beginning and draws you into the disturbing side of high school cliques. It had me choked up many times, angry other times, sympathetic most of the time and I left knowing I was right when I thought this movie had potential to make a difference. Go see it, bring your pre-teen and/or teen.