By: debbie lynn elias
Part of the Summer Showcase at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival, there’s nothing short term about the effects of SHORT TERM 12. An unexpected delight, there’s a lightness to the serious subject, at-risk teens in the foster care system – but the story has such depth and so many layers that every scene just peels back another piece of the onion, thanks in large part to the performances of Brie Larson and Kaitlyn Dever. As Grace and Jayden, counselor and youth, respectively, watching these two is like watching a dance of emotion. There is a wonderful ying and yang to not only their characters but each of them as actresses. A dramatic turn for Dever, she delivers an emotional range that raises the bar, going toe-to-toe with Larson who gives Grace a controlled thoughtfulness which propels a feeling for other characters and the audience that’s she hiding something, masking something. And again, just as Larson brings out the best in Dever so does Dever with Larson.
Writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton delivers a story that is well constructed, character driven as opposed to event driven. Thanks to a wonderful contrast of characters and dynamics, Cretton shows us both sides of the foster care system through the eyes of John Gallagher Jr.’s Mason, a counselor who himself was a foster child. It’s a hopeful element put into the audience’s mind that lifts the specter of doom from the group home, the kids there, and particularly, Grace and Jayden.
Brett Pawlak’s lighting and lensing adds a softness and at times claustrophobic aura that serves the story well. Interior lighting is softer against the institutional yellows and greens. Lensing down hallways and through doorways, allows the audience to feel the same “closed in” emotional sensibility of the kids. Hand in hand is Rachel Myers’ production design which celebrates the lo-budget/no budget world of child services (bulletin boards, shared thumb tacks, bare bones old hotel furnishing, dog eared colored paper memos on the bulletin board) while showcasing human creativity with the arts and crafts, especially with the making of Jayden’s birthday cards.
SHORT TERM 12 will have a long term effect on everyone who sees it. One of my “Must See” LAFF films, SHORT TERM 12 is moving, motivational, hopeful, inspiring.
Written and Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
Cast: Brie Larson, Kaitlyn Dever, John Gallagher Jr., Rami Malek
