I was attracted to this film by the Metascore of 91. But critics' rating is one thing. I was more surprised (delightedly) to see an IMDb user rating of 7.3.
The opening scene is a high school concert in a Pennsylvania town with mundane, half-baked performances. One girl however, despite unsmiling, pours her heart into the song she sings. She is seen next in the washroom, with a close up to her slightly bulging mid-section. Our suspicion of why she looks so angry is soon confirmed. At a local clinic, the health care staff (not unfriendly) explains that they will have her do a self-administered pregnancy test. They also caution that if the result is negative, it may not be absolute, in which case she should take another one a weeks later to make sure. They then give her a device in a package. "That's what they sell in supermarket, right?" she asks although she knows that it is. The instantly available result is positive. "Does it means that it can still be negative?" she enquires. No, she is told, the uncertainty does not work the opposite way.
This Sundance favourite could use an alternate title "three dreary days in New York" (a polar opposite of Woody Allen's recent breezy, witty "A rainy day in New York"). It is an Odyssey of 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), accompanied by endearing cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder), seeking abortion in New York which, unlike her hometown, allows minors to get abortion without seeking parent's consent. Understandably with limited financial resources, they plan a day trip which drags on for two more days. The clinic they visited, upon finding that her pregnancy has been longer than her hometown clinic's assessment, has to send her to their downtown office which, unfortunately, is just about closing. The next day, while received in a professional, helpful and sympathetic manner, she finds that because of the length of her pregnancy, she needs a two-day procedure. I shall not going into the details of the Odyssey of these two girls, strangers in a strange land.
There has been many films on the subject of abortion. What makes this one stand out is its honesty. Throughout the film there is not a single moment of manipulative emotion. In fact the two girls, particularly Autumn, rarely speak. When they do, it is usually giving clear, concise information to people as necessary or answering relevant questions in a level-headed manner (there is one exception which I'll come to later). Between themselves, the exchange brisk remarks. And yet, through close-ups and nuanced pauses, we are privy to the soul of these two remarkable girls, not extraordinary, just remarkable.
The one scene alluded to above has to do with the title of this film. During a long preparatory interview with a very considerate and professional health worker, Autum is asked many questions requiring only multiple-choice answer: never, rarely, sometimes and always. Starting as quite routine, these questions get progressively culminating in what is tantamount to probing whether her pregnancy results from rape. This is the closest we see Autumn showing any emotions, as colour rises on her face and tears start to swell in her eyes.
This is Flanginan's first film and Ryder has only a couple of credits to her name. They are both incredibly convincing in their roles.
The opening scene is a high school concert in a Pennsylvania town with mundane, half-baked performances. One girl however, despite unsmiling, pours her heart into the song she sings. She is seen next in the washroom, with a close up to her slightly bulging mid-section. Our suspicion of why she looks so angry is soon confirmed. At a local clinic, the health care staff (not unfriendly) explains that they will have her do a self-administered pregnancy test. They also caution that if the result is negative, it may not be absolute, in which case she should take another one a weeks later to make sure. They then give her a device in a package. "That's what they sell in supermarket, right?" she asks although she knows that it is. The instantly available result is positive. "Does it means that it can still be negative?" she enquires. No, she is told, the uncertainty does not work the opposite way.
This Sundance favourite could use an alternate title "three dreary days in New York" (a polar opposite of Woody Allen's recent breezy, witty "A rainy day in New York"). It is an Odyssey of 17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), accompanied by endearing cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder), seeking abortion in New York which, unlike her hometown, allows minors to get abortion without seeking parent's consent. Understandably with limited financial resources, they plan a day trip which drags on for two more days. The clinic they visited, upon finding that her pregnancy has been longer than her hometown clinic's assessment, has to send her to their downtown office which, unfortunately, is just about closing. The next day, while received in a professional, helpful and sympathetic manner, she finds that because of the length of her pregnancy, she needs a two-day procedure. I shall not going into the details of the Odyssey of these two girls, strangers in a strange land.
There has been many films on the subject of abortion. What makes this one stand out is its honesty. Throughout the film there is not a single moment of manipulative emotion. In fact the two girls, particularly Autumn, rarely speak. When they do, it is usually giving clear, concise information to people as necessary or answering relevant questions in a level-headed manner (there is one exception which I'll come to later). Between themselves, the exchange brisk remarks. And yet, through close-ups and nuanced pauses, we are privy to the soul of these two remarkable girls, not extraordinary, just remarkable.
The one scene alluded to above has to do with the title of this film. During a long preparatory interview with a very considerate and professional health worker, Autum is asked many questions requiring only multiple-choice answer: never, rarely, sometimes and always. Starting as quite routine, these questions get progressively culminating in what is tantamount to probing whether her pregnancy results from rape. This is the closest we see Autumn showing any emotions, as colour rises on her face and tears start to swell in her eyes.
This is Flanginan's first film and Ryder has only a couple of credits to her name. They are both incredibly convincing in their roles.