Life Inside Out (2014)

This is a quiet movie... In today's market it's hard to find a nice film with a good plot that doesn't overwhelm the senses. This is a drama, with some funny moments, and a lot of really great independent musicians. The film is set in Los Angeles and tells the story of teenage love and longing - and midlife crisis as experienced by a NORMAL family. Yeah, no divorce, no drugs, no alcoholism. Just a nice compelling story about normal people. If that doesn't appeal to you I'm sure Showtime or Fox have something more to your liking. But if you want a good movie to watch with teens/pre-teens, this is a great pick. No spoiler, but it does have a happy ending with a little surprise. And if you like good music, this is a really good pick. This is an award winner at a lot of independent film festivals. And an award winner in my house!

This sweet film is poignant and true. The script speaks to the heart of most of our families--flawed, struggling, yet enduring. Maggie Baird is illuminating as the mom of three sons, one of whom is a floundering 14 year old who is depressed, sullen, and withdrawn. As she rediscovers an old passion for guitar, singing and song writing, her son, played by her real life son, Phinneas, discovers he, too, is passionate about, and talented as a singer/songwriter. He begins to come out of his shell; he emerges as someone who feels he has value; and he sees and appreciates his mother in ways most 14 year old sons can't.Through humor and simplicity of story telling, we become a part of this family. We feel their financial struggle. We love the long term marriage of the parents, still so committed, yet winding their way through these muddy middle years. We relate to the sibling relationships. We so deeply feel the anxiety and isolation of adolescence. And when perseverance and unrelenting mother love and support help them both to find their way, our hearts soar with their discoveries.

When I left the movie theater, I was greeted by co-stars Maggie Baird and her son (in the movie and life) Finneas O'Connell. I looked at Finneus like he was some kind of soul-mate and blurted out in amazement "You made a movie about me and my son!!" He just smiled and said "Everyone says that".I was literally stunned when the movie ended and I realized the characters on the screen were not actually me, my son, and my husband. I am still not able to get it into my mind that I don't at east know these people very well.Even my 14 year old son, who is usually a brutal critic said they got it right. The movie made me cry often but not in an obvious manipulated way. I was captivated by how true the many powerful moments were. Nothing took me out of the depth of the moment until the film concluded.By true, I mean that they have captured those private lonely feelings we go about our lives not sharing, not knowing how to share, and maybe not even seeing ourselves. Then we see them on the screen and our private sadness is shared. It's a feeling of connection and understanding.It's as if you ate nothing but hyped-up McDonalds meals your whole life and never questioned that they were great, until one day when you actually tasted real food! I hope there will be another film by this team, but wonder if anything could top this for what it is. It's not so much a story as a truth. It's real food, not formula.

Satisfying is the first word that comes to mind to describe this film. The story works, the characters are believable, the acting is not forced, the cinematography is perfect, the sound track is pleasing. It's a feel-good family story in a not trite way. Seriously! Almost-empty-nest Mom is taking a creative risk in her life. Disaffected and insolent teen son bonds with mother over open-mic style music - and he teaches himself to play guitar via an unorthodox method. This movie is a classic example of show not tell - we are in the story as it unfolds in front of our eyes. It's definitely a keeper. 10 out of 10 in the way only an indie movie can be. Nothing showy, just solid storytelling and movie-making.