I just saw this movie last night and I loved it. I was wondering if anyone else saw it (or read it). I read the book last year and didn’t get around to seeing the book. Good book but I think I connected more with the film–though I’m kind of glad I read the book first because there were a lot of details not in the movie.
I thought it was fascinating how Neil in the book talks about really enjoying his time with coach. And in his narrations he says he loved it, felt special, but then you see the little boy Neil looking pretty skeeved in some of the scenes. Makes you wonder if he’s rewriting history.
And Brian. Poor, poor Brian. Interesting how both he and Neil had really absent dads. Brian’s dad was around more–he divorced the mother years later–but he clearly didn’t care why his son was going through all that crap.
Did you guys think that Avalyn had been molested by her father and that’s why she had that fixation? A lot of IMDbers thought that (yeah, yeah, I know…) and because her father was so odd. I just figured she was an odd duck–some people genuinely believe in that stuff, who knows why? Speaking of IMDb…ugh. There are way too many posters who either don’t think that that rape scene was a rape scene or that Neil deserved it or that Neil and coach’s “relationship” was as consensual as pedophilia can get. Need. Brain. Bleach.
Can’t remember it well enough to really discuss (unless you want me to expound on the hotness of Mr. Gordon-Levitt). I do remember liking it a lot, which surprised me since Gregg Araki tends to be hit or miss (loved Splendor and Happy Face, not so much Doom Generation).
What really got me was the soundtrack. Definitely worth picking up.
I can’t help being a little skeeved to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this sexual role. I know it’s naive but I thought he’d be the dorky Brian character. I’m just so used to thinking of him as the Third Rock kid or that little guy from Ten Things I Hate About You. This was WOAH.
The soundtrack was pretty cool. I’ll try to check it out.
And I loved this movie. I’m looking for more like it–I’ll try to check out the two you liked.
It sort of reminded me of L.I.E., another movie featuring a pedophile…well, a guy into young teen boys. I really liked that one. Sometimes I think I’m a bit sick for watching all these movies, and NOT posting stuff like, “This movie disturbed me and I can never watch it more than once.” I can honestly see myself watching this again. It was amazing.
I haven’t read the book, but I don’t think the movie at all implies that Avalyn was sexually abused. She didn’t seem scared of her father at all, or dominated by him. I think she was just a homely shy eccentric with some weird beliefs. Not everyone who believes in UFOs or even has abduction memories is neccessarily repressing past abuse.
I also felt a little bad for Avalyn while being skeeved by her. She genuinely believed all this stuff. And unlike Brian, she never realized that it was all just made up.
Poor Brian. I get the sense that his issues with sexuality are only just beginning. From the way he reacted to Avalyn (granted, he wasn’t all that attracted to her, probably), it seems like he associates sex with scariness. Makes sense, since his first sexual experience with another person was one of abuse.