Margaret 2011

    Lisa is 17 years old and she lives with her younger brother and divorced mom in Manhattan.  Her father has been planning a horse back riding trip in Arizona and she sets out to buy a cowboy hat.  She’s unable to find one in the stores but she sees the bus driver is wearing a hat like she wants.  She tries to get on the bus but he doesn’t open the door.  She signals and yells that she likes his hat and she wants to know where she can get one like it.  She is distracting the driver and he doesn’t see the light has changed from green to red.  A woman with a small grocery cart steps in front of the bus.

    Margaret needs counseling but her family and teachers don’t seem to see this.  She feels the heavy weight of distracting the driver but she feels the driver is not suffering as much as she is.  Everything in her life becomes affected by her guilt, her relationship with her family, friends and her grades.  I think this film is narrow in focus and many characters were brought in to expand the scope but they just cause confusion and distraction.  3* (This movie is OK)

150 min, Drama directed by Kenneth Lonergan with Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Jean Reno, Matthew Broderick, J. Smith Cameron, Allison Janney, Jeanne Berlin.

Note:  Blockbuster 2 ½*, imdb 6.6 out of 10, 72% critic 51% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Special Note:  This film was held up due to a lengthy post-production process, it had been scheduled for release in 2009.  Why is Anna Paquin playing someone who is 17 years old, in 2008 she was 27 years old?  Also, Jean Reno has a ridiculous accent that distracts you from everything he says?