Book to film adaptation are always tricky, even for the most seasoned of screenwriters and directors. Adapting a novel like AND THEN I GO is even more challenging given the subject matter. But scribes Brett Haley and the book’s author Jim Shepard more than deliver, as does director Vincent Grashaw. Already known for his films which explore the darker aspects of life, Grashaw dives into AND THEN I GO with a humanizing sensitivity as we watch the story unfold of two junior high school friends, Edwin and Flake.
Bullied by all, including his own family and even some teachers, Edwin draws within himself, alienated from the accepted social standards of junior high. No one understands him or even tries to but for Flake, another boy with the same experiences and feelings. In what can only be described as a moral and social tragedy, Edwin and Flake join forces as they find a way to express their hurt, anger, and frustration, by planning revenge of the most heinous kind as set in the world of the teenaged mind.
What is striking with AND THEN I GO, scribes Haley and Shepard make the boys sympathetic figures. The audience sees how smart they are and how funny they can be. The heart breaks as you realize no one in their world sees that, only the audience. Told with a blend of expository voiceover, present day, and flashbacks, Grashaw gives an understanding to the complexity of the misunderstood youths through this tapestried and layered film. Calling on extended moments of contemplative close-ups and strong evocative and emotive score, the visuals are clean, simple. All eyes are kept on the story and on strong performances by Arman Darbo as Edwin and Sawyer Barth as Flake. Supporting performances by Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long, Carrie Preston, Melonie Diaz and Tony Hale fuel the unfolding emotion.
Eye-opening and heartbreaking, AND THEN I GO is a must see film for all.
Directed by Vincent Grashaw
Written by Brett Haley and Jim Shepard based on the novel by Jim Shepard
Cast: Arman Darbo, Sawyer Barth, Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long, Carrie Preston, Melonie Diaz and Tony Hale
by debbie elias, 6/13/2017 (LA Film Festival Review)
