"Say You Will"

 2017 1h 35m  There’s a soft spot in my heart for teen movies. Maybe because in many ways, I’m really still a kid. And I enjoy all types, from kegger-spins-wildly-out-of-control and parents–are-out-of-town-and-what-kind-of-trouble-can-we-get-into, to first romance and classic coming of age dramas. “Say You Will” falls into the latter category. It’s a beautiful, well-acted film that should be better known.

 The story centers on Sam (Travis Tope) as he graduates from high school and follows him through the summer before he goes off to college. He hooks up with a childhood sweetheart Ellie (Katherine Hughes) at a grad party.  Ellie is a free spirit who doesn’t have any real plans for the future. Although she has an on again, off again relationship with a boyfriend, she rekindles her friendship with Sam. She gets him a summer job at a video store and the couple hangs out a lot together.

 

Interestingly, the two of them are the real grownups in their respective homes. Sam’s father committed suicide a few years before, and his mother (Michelle Forbes) is in denial and simply refuses move on. She spends her days sitting on the sofa watching TV. The two of them barely communicate and he’s been banished to his dad’s recording studio in the garage. Ellie’s mother is marginally there for her and her siblings, and she’s the one who rises to the occasion and takes care of her three brothers. 

 

While looking through his parent’s things, Sam discovers love letters and photos of his mom and her old boyfriend Dean (Sam Trammell). It’s reveled that he was Sam’s dad’s best friend, and she left him to marry his dad. Sam contacts Dean and invites him to a surprise birthday party for his mom.  As you’d expect, that doesn’t go too well. In fact, she’s absolutely devastated to see him again. However, it’s just the jolt she needs to help her wake up and start communicating with her son and deal with life again. 

 

This isn’t your average teen drama or romance. The two lead actors have remarkable chemistry, and the film deals with some heavy-duty issues, without being overly heavy-handed. It’s a touching portrait of families coping with life and learning to move on. I rarely give a movie five stars, but this is an absolutely perfect little gem in every respect.

Streaming on several platforms including Hoopla, IMDB TV, Tubi, Epix, and Pluto TV.