Category: Coming-Of-Age
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Why ‘G.B.F.’ (2013) is Pretty Good, Actually
This review contains mild spoilers. G.B.F. is a 2013 feature film written by George Northy and directed by Darren Stein (Jawbreaker). G.B.F., which stands for “gay best friend”, tells the story of Tanner Daniels (Michael J. Willett), a closeted high school student who is “more than content to fly under the radar and leave the trailblazing…
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Outer Banks Ignores Its Racial Context
Outer Banks (2020-) knows its audience: young adults in a country that can’t stop romanticizing good ole’ treasure hunts. Add a little of Riverdale’s (2017-) sex appeal, and no one can look away. Forty years after The Goonies (1985) America’s consciousness hasn’t strayed from the same tropes: treasure hunts, a vulnerable white male lead, and the whitewashing…
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Margarita with a Straw (2014) Movie Review
Shonali Bose’s Margarita with a Straw (2014) is a moving coming-of-age film. Its journey of discovery and self-love is tender and emotionally fulfilling. It also wrestles with important issues such as disability, inclusion, and sexuality. Unfortunately, its plot feels confused and convoluted at points, its second half lacking in a clear progression of story and…
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‘Minari’: Authenticity Without The Trauma Porn
When diverse representation is featured on-screen, it oftentimes comes with strings attached that undermine the message they were trying to send. This can be attributed to the fact that behind-the-screen, the industry primarily does not reflect the breadth of diverse difference that is present in daily life. That’s why when something as powerful and authentic…
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How ‘Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry’ Humanizes Child Stars
When they’re young, they’re America’s darlings but, when they become teens and adolescents, they’re instantly perceived as harbingers of immorality. They’re Lindsay Lohan, Macaulay Culkin, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. But, despite what many media outlets, politicians, and the general public may think, they are human beings above anything else. The new Billie Eilish documentary,…