Alex (Ema Horvath) is a rebellious disconnected 16 year old in Portland. She looks at a picture of her family and asks the title question. She has no friends at school and only one at a different school. After an inappropriate incident with her teacher, she finds a letter in her mother (Alyssa Milano)'s desk. Her father is not her biological father and she sets off to find her missing parent (Devon Sawa).
Most of the time, I complain about older actors playing teenagers. In this case, I don't mind Ema being in her late 20's. This movie is uncomfortable enough as it is. I put most of the awkwardness down to a clueless know-it-all teen lead character. It's not the fun coming-of-age film that it probably wants to be. It can't be due to the subject matter. The reveal is pretty obvious early on. At least, it's not a surprise to any alert viewer. There are a few needed changes. Mostly, it needs to darken the tone of the movie. Whether it's the music score or the few attempted jokes, this movie needs to clip those out. This is only going to work if it's dark.
Most of the time, I complain about older actors playing teenagers. In this case, I don't mind Ema being in her late 20's. This movie is uncomfortable enough as it is. I put most of the awkwardness down to a clueless know-it-all teen lead character. It's not the fun coming-of-age film that it probably wants to be. It can't be due to the subject matter. The reveal is pretty obvious early on. At least, it's not a surprise to any alert viewer. There are a few needed changes. Mostly, it needs to darken the tone of the movie. Whether it's the music score or the few attempted jokes, this movie needs to clip those out. This is only going to work if it's dark.