SmugKitZine
Tied for the best movie I have ever seen
Huievest
Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
SeeQuant
Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
nammage
One of the reviewers here compared this film to "Mystic Pizza". I have "Mystic Pizza" on DVD, and last watched it about four months ago, and this ain't no "Mystic Pizza". The only thing comparable is that they're both restaurants that serve pizza (though I never saw pizza being served in this film) and they are in a city that's by the water. That's it. Oh, and it's mainly women who work there. Also this film is mainly about teenage girls and the other about adult women. There's a lot of flaws and unresolved and cliché elements in this film. And some hypocritical elements such as the main character, Kate, not applying her advice to her best friend, to herself. All in all, it was a sweet movie that pushed clichë to the wall. All the normal clichéd characters: the jock-type character who is the creepy guy who will be that guy who takes advantage of girls in college but ultimately hooks up with a girl who comes off as a slut-type girl in this film who's a virgin herself but acts like she knows everything when she knows nothing. Then minor cliché characters that don't necessarily evolve past anything such as the Russian blonde ditzy female and the cook who's gay, the viewer knows it, he (the cook) knows it but no one else in the film seems to pick up on it for whatever reason; and what's up about all the bikers and the two girls hiding in the freezer? Never explained that. Also the whole thing about Louise and Ronald? While it seemed to be going somewhere, the movie ended before more could be delved into that, and Louise's son and why he dislikes his mother so much. It never really developed these characters and/or their stories. It just ended. The focus is on Kate, which is fine, the film supposedly is about her; she's the focus but they add these subplots and then don't really go anywhere with them. If this film is actually to be compared to any film it would be "Never Been Kissed" with Drew Barrymore; the characters are even similar. It's a sweet movie. That's it. Normally I would rate this a four or five out of ten since it was overly cliché, added subplots that didn't go anywhere and when explaining some things it was just too far from when needing to be explained (too much time in the film passed) I ceased to care but it was a sweet movie. I enjoyed it.
Mary Blackwood
It's so cool to see a movie that's about women and their lives. Acting is excellent throughout, the script is witty, and the whole movie is deeply fulfilling. Kate is a great character, a teenage girl who goes about freeing herself from her small-town constraints. It's not just about the teenagers, though, because the adults also get to grow and learn. In fact it's the relationship between Kate and Louise that is the heart of the film, one young girl wanting to stretch herself, and her older friend who remembers her own youth as she watches Kate grow and have new experiences.Really worth seeing. The film world is full of stories of teenage boys dealing with their adolescences. I'd love to see more exploration of the stories of teenage girls, and "16 to Life" is a great one.
bill-hair
*** BEFORE SEEING THE MOVIE *** If you are a parent and squeamish about some foul language and minor explicit sexual conversations (less than 5 minutes total), then you may not want to watch this movie. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are looking for titillation or nudity, this is not the movie for you. Those who are squeamish and can get through it, you will be thoroughly entertained by this movie. *** BEFORE SEEING THE MOVIE ***The movie is well written and feels like you are looking into the lives of the characters. Settings are very simple and the majority of the movie takes place in the workplace. The movie also deals with very different and some difficult situations and how each person reacts from the initial discovery through the final outcome. What is truly amazing is that each person plays an important role in the movie and at times, is the star. No synopsis here, just my thoughts on why you should see this movie.BillHGreat movie and I would highly recommend it to anyone sixteen and above.
Rieta Greenwell
Superb casting and screen writing - really enjoyed and got into this little gem of a movie - cheered for the lead as the movie went along. Finally a smart character in this type of movie - one who stands for what she wants without giving in to the dumb decisions around her. You'll could compare the role of Kate to some of the best teen lead characters around. Possibly a breakout role for Hallee Hirsch - see this movie if you can - it's a self-distributed indie by Becky Smith - this is the quality type of movie that Hollywood would be proud to put out (if it wanted to!) The director, lead actor and another actor did a good Q & A following our showing at the Rave in Omaha. Besides superb casting and smart writing, the camera work exhibited outstanding color and great close-ups. This movie was clearly superior to two Hollywood films I saw the same weekend (The American with George Clooney and Cairo Time with Patricia Clarkson). See it!
