Episode #106: The Man in the Moon
Listen to Episode 106 of the Podcast here while you enjoy the show notes.
SUMMARY - Man in the Moon takes place in the late 1950s in a rural Louisiana town. 14 year old Dani (played by Reese Witherspoon) shares a room with her college-bound sister Maureen (played by Emily Warfield) where they talk about life, hopes, and boys. Dani is anxious to have her first boyfriend and thinks she might just have her chance when an older boy moves in nearby.
Written by Jenny Wingfield; Directed by Robert Mulligan; and released on October 4, 1991.
FILM DISCUSSION
At the start, the movie is focusing on the relationship between two sisters as they discuss all the love and life stuff that comes with that.
Then when the new boy comes to town...
Let's just say that there's a bit of obsession from Dani's side and she tries to spend as much time with the older boy as possible.
Overall, in terms of movie making, the pacing is a bit strange at times and its tough to get a full sense of how much time has passed.
The movie is full of strong women put into bad situations and rolling with the punches the best they can.
The parents are also strong characters who are more empathetic and sympathetic than most you'll see in most films. They understand and help.
The relationship between Dani and Court is also handled a bit better than other movies would. Court is older and doesn't want to actually be romantic with Dani.
He does later want to be with Maureen, though. You can imagine the strain that causes.
You can tell there isn't a lot of detail we can go into here (as we usually don't get into spoilers in these blog posts), but there are a lot of small details and great acting.
It's also appreciated that the movie doesn't try to make a sugary-sweet moment out of anything.
Awards Talk: The Young Artist Awards is the only nominations for the movie. Best Actress Starring in a Motion Picture for Reese, and Best Actress Co-Starring for Emily Warfield
TRUE CRIME & POP CULTURE
This week we don't have any true crime to talk about so for this week, we talk about how this film is based on a true story. Here are a few articles if you want to read a bit more.
RANKINGS & RATINGS
Nikki 1-5 star scale - 3 out of 5
Jon 0-4 star scale - 1 1/2 out of 4
Would you watch it again? - Nikki says yes, but Jon is less likely. It's reminiscent of other movies like Wildflower, My Girl, or Fried Green Tomatoes, but all of those are arguably better so there are more appealing options for a second viewing.
If you want to watch The Man in the Moon, as of this recording in April 2023, it’s available on Tubi, PlutoTV, Roku Channel, Digital Rental, VHS, DVD. Check your local listings.
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