Indie Gems: Lymelife

The American Dream sucks.

At least it does for these two families who's once normal suburban lives are now crumbling. The film follows Scott Barlett (Rory Culkin) who has a crush on his neighbor Adrianna Bragg. (Emma Roberts) That's not all Scott has on his plate. He thinks his unhappy mother, Brenda (Jill Hennessy) is crazy and his father, Mickey (Alec Baldwin) is having an affair with Adrianna's mother, Melissa. (Cynthia Nixon) Melissa's husband, Charlie (Timothy Hutton) has recently been diagnosed with lyme disease and has become very distant from the rest of the family. There's lots of drama to go around between the two familes and we see Scott and Adrianna's relationship sort of blossum amidst all of this.

Lymelife reminded me a bit of American Beauty, which as you know is my all time favorite movie. That's one of the things that made me like it so much. It had the same formula, not everything is great in suburbia, but it still brought it's own special touches to the table. The acting was good, with the exception of Hennessy who I thought was a little stale, the story was interesting and the ending is left up to interpretation. It can either be something subtle, or something sinister depending on how you look at it. I felt invested in all of the characters, which is refreshing. I love seeing Rory and Kieran Culkin act together, they are truly the most talented of the Culkin clan.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "You'll rot your stomach out just like I did." - Jimmy Barlett (Kieran Culkin)