Just imagine how thrilled I was to learn that one of my fave books by Janet Fitch was adapted into a fantastic indie film directed by Amber Tamblyn! This film takes a dark and complicated novel and turns it into a thrilling and thoughtful film with brilliant actors. The book is very clearly set in the early 80's, but the film kind of leaves you guessing about the time period......all you know is it is pre-cell phone! The colors, the costumes, the landscapes....there's something about that hazy California air that you almost feel like you can reach out and touch. Also, I've loved Alia Shawkat ever since her role as Pash in "Whip It" (See fave movies post) and only loved her more after her turn as Josie. This film really makes you think about grief, young love, expectations and resiliency and how we're all just slowly getting there.
This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is a lot of inte