Themes: Faltering Friendships, Down on Their Luck, Musician's Life
Main Cast: Kerry Washington, Marlene Forte
Release Year: 2000
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Jim McKay follows up on the critical success of his Girls Town (1996) with this sensitively-wrought, finely-etched character study of three teenaged girls living in the Crown Heights section of New York City. Though it is summer, the trio find themselves locked in a demanding rehearsal schedule for their prize-winning marching band. Yet this is one of a sundry responsibilities these girls must shoulder. With their parents over-worked, absent, or in jail, they must take care of all household chores and hold down dreary soul-deadening jobs. To make matters worse, their school is closing down for asbestos removal. Yet the most pressing concern for Maria (Melissa Martinez) is her discovery that she is pregnant, for a second time, after a latex-free tryst with a classmate. She is reluctant to consider an abortion, though the prospect of telling her harried mother seems no less daunting. Her best friend Lanisha (Kerry Washington) is supportive, but Joy (Anna Simpson), the third in the trio, cools to Maria, preferring to retreat into a world of fantasy. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Review
Jim McKay's second feature highlighting the travails of young women is much like his first film, the low-key New Jersey drama Girls Town, only this effort is more focused, if less subtle. A mostly empathetic look at a trio of young female teenagers growing up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the film lays on its intentions a little too thickly, making it nearly impossible not to be somewhat judgmental toward McKay's representation. But for all the film's flaws, it has a handful of expertly realized scenes of domesticity and a trio of solid performances, especially the marvelously expressive Kerry Washington, whose portrayal is unflinchingly unforced and honest. Additionally, the picture is superbly shot by Jim Denault, whose unerring eye for visual detail is just as accomplished as his admittedly flashier work in films like Nadja and Boys Don't Cry. This film premiered in competition at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival to positive notices, but took over a year to find distribution. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
Tyrone Brown - Associate Producer, Alexa L. Fogel - Casting, Alexa L. Fogel - Co-producer, Joseph Infantolino - Co-producer, Jim McKay - Director, Alex Hall - Editor, Michael Stipe - Executive Producer, Caroline Kaplan - Executive Producer, Jonathan Sehring - Executive Producer, Jim Denault - Cinematographer, Paul S. Mezey - Producer, Jim McKay - Producer, Diana E. Williams - Producer, Jan Mclaughlin - Sound/Sound Designer, Jim McKay - Screenwriter
Our Song follows three high school girls over one summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The girls, Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson) are best friends and confidants. They have different family situations, different romantic interests, different moral codes and their own unique dreams.
They are all dedicated members of the Jackie Robinson Steppers, a community marching band, that holds daily rehearsals in a local parking lot. The girls want to master the instruments they play in order to impress their conductor.
Joycelyn works at a makeup boutique, while both Marie and Lanisha work at a bakery. Sometimes they talk about what they'll do after high school, but most of their conversations are about the difficult immediate issues that face them daily:
Their school is not going to reopen in the fall because there is asbestos contamination, so they each challenged with finding a new school with a good reputation, enrolling, and planning the daily commute.
Pregnancy and teen motherhood are serious considerations for the girls, as many of their friends have babies.
Critical response
The film garnered positive reviews. Many of the critics praised director Jim McKay for the documentary-like shooting of the film and its dialogue. Roger Ebert has said that the film is "original and perceptive" and it doesn't force its characters into a tightly-plotted story.[1] The film has a 90 percent "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]
