Short Term 12 (2013, R)

To go along with my more relaxed posting schedule, I’m going to play around with my format on “miscellaneous” reviews (i.e. stuff other than my actor reviews, Sunday Who Review, etc.) So instead of my usual full write-ups, I’m trying out more of a bullet-point style.

What’s It About?

Grace works at a group home facility. She knows firsthand that her kids are dealing with all manner of trauma and stressors, and she does what she can to provide a safe, stable environment for them. But during one tumultuous week, where one resident is preparing to age out and a new one struggles to adjust, Grace finds her own traumatic past bubbling up.

Who’s in It?

Oh my god, so many people! First off, the film is written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton of Just Mercy, Shang-Chi, and American Born Chinese, and it’s filled with talented “before they hit it big” actors. Brie Larson beautifully and painfully leads the film as Grace. Rami Malek plays Nate, who’s just started working at Short Term 12, and Stephanie Beatriz appears as another staff member. Lakeith Stanfield gives a wonderfully affecting performance as Marcus, the kid who’s about to age out, while Kaitlyn Dever plays Jayden, the new kid who just got there. The film also features John Gallagher Jr. (Moritz from the original cast of Spring Awakening) as Mason, Grace’s good-natured fellow staff member and understanding boyfriend. Everyone gives such natural, fantastic performances, with Larson and Stanfield as the biggest standouts.

What Do I Love About It?

·        Cretton’s story and direction are really beautiful, quietly intimate as we follow the lives of these damaged people who are trying to figure out how to get through their day.

·        There are crises that happen at Short Term 12—kids get into fights, kids try to run away, kids offer glimpses of the incredible hurt they’ve experienced—but there are simple comforts and delights too. I love that we’re shown the full range of these kids’ lives, and that the staffs’ job isn’t just about the “heroic” effort of keeping a bunch of “troublemakers” in order.

·        To that end, I like how most of the crisis moments we see are met with such calm and steadiness. Nate is constantly alarmed and unsettled, but by and large, Grace and Mason have seen all of these dozens of times before. They’re well-versed in the protocol while also knowing when to let protocol slide. The only times we really see them panic are when one of the kids is in immediate danger.

·        In a lot of movies, Nate would be the main viewpoint character, the staff member who’s entirely new to this world, the guy who’s always wanted to help “underprivileged” kids. Instead, it’s Grace, who’s been through the system herself and has her own traumas she’s still working through. I really love that our protagonist is someone who understands the kinds of challenges the kids are facing: why they might lie or act out, what methods might be ineffective for reaching them, and how enormous their feelings are.

Warnings

Language, violence (including self-harm, child abuse, and discussion of child sexual abuse,) drug references, sexual content, and strong thematic elements (including suicide.)