This may not have been Laura Dern's film debut, but it was an announcement to the world that a talented young actress had arrived. The movie depicts the ordinary adventures of a 15-year old girl. Her home life is dominated by fights with her seemingly impossible-to-please mother, played by Mary Kay Place. This relationship isn't helped by the presence of a sainted older sister (Elizabeth Berridge). Her dad (Levon Helm) manages to stay a good guy, but only because he's not so involved in his daughter's life.
Connie, Dern's character, lives for the times she can get out of the house with her friend, go to the mall or hamburger joint, and start to practice her incipient flirting technique with boys. For most of the film, the scene shifts between these home-and-away scenes and it's entertaining to watch this growing adolescent try to find her way in her slowly-expanding new world.
About two-thirds of the way through, though, the movie takes a sharp, unexpected turn when a character played by Treat Williams shows up. I didn't like the direction it went in after that or the conclusions I was forced to make. Consequently this weakened the overall impact of what had been a quite enjoyable film up to that point. Still, it doesn't take anything away from the outstanding performance by Laura Dern. It looks like sometimes acting can be in one's blood.
Connie, Dern's character, lives for the times she can get out of the house with her friend, go to the mall or hamburger joint, and start to practice her incipient flirting technique with boys. For most of the film, the scene shifts between these home-and-away scenes and it's entertaining to watch this growing adolescent try to find her way in her slowly-expanding new world.
About two-thirds of the way through, though, the movie takes a sharp, unexpected turn when a character played by Treat Williams shows up. I didn't like the direction it went in after that or the conclusions I was forced to make. Consequently this weakened the overall impact of what had been a quite enjoyable film up to that point. Still, it doesn't take anything away from the outstanding performance by Laura Dern. It looks like sometimes acting can be in one's blood.