THE MAN IN THE MOON
(directed by Robert Mulligan, 1991)
***+ (out of 5)
.
> Set in rural Louisiana in the 1950’s, this sentimental but rich coming-of-age story is the tale of a 14-year old girl experiencing the first pangs of love, sexual awakening, jealousy and loss, while battling bitter sibling rivalry.
. That young girl is memorably played by Reese Witherspoon in her very first film role- and, (with a little help of a solid secondary cast featuring the likes of Sam Waterston and Tess Harper), she is practically called upon to carry the movie. The thing is- she does. Very well! It is an amazingly relaxed and assured performance for a novice actress of her age. Reese is very, very cute and surprisingly real and vulnerable in this debut, so we come to feel sort of protective for, as we gradually come to see the broken heart she so obviously has coming. She has fallen for an older boy- and although there are sparks between them, at this age, three years is a bridge too far. Family drama and the first crush of tragedy follow, in this final film by the director of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
– This is a good script, generally avoiding saccharine dialogue, even if the score occasionally veers too far into melodrama for its own good. A rewarding film.
*
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