**** out of *****
Droves of locals descended on the Englert Theatre to attend the Iowa début of 16 to Life, Okoboji, Iowa, native Becky Smith’s first full-length feature film. The flick had already premièred in Los Angeles at Method Fest (where it was the recipient of several awards), but the Aug. 29 screening was the film’s first home-state screening.
Though filmed along the Mississippi, in McGregor, Iowa, the town is never explicitly mentioned in the movie’s dialogue. The lone set, an ice cream stand/burger joint along the river, conveys the small-town feel by emanating a feeling of realism that often is hard to fake on celluloid. And when cornfields flashed on the screen in the film’s beginning, the audience erupted in applause like extras from Bring it On, seeming to give the movie a noisy stamp of approval.
16 to Life chronicles the longing Kate (played spectacularly by Hallee Hirsh) experiences on her 16th birthday as she waits for her first kiss. Kate is a prototypical bookworm who, when she’s not dreaming of finding love, delves in and out of imaginations about the Chinese Cultural Revolution (which serves as the plot of a book she’s currently reading).
Kate is relatable, lovable, and the film’s absolute soul. Her passion for books coupled with her desire to please others (especially on her birthday) is completely heartwarming. Kate is one of those characters who was sorely missed each of the few times her presence left the screen.
Theresa Russell, who plays stand-owner Louise, is pitch-perfect as Kate’s semi-second mother (a substitute for Kate’s biological mom, who died when Kate was young). Their interactions are the film’s emotional peaks.
Mandy Musgrave turns in a stellar performance as Kate’s soon-to-be sexually experienced coworker, and carnal opposite, Darby. Shiloh Fernandez also steals scenes as Rene, Kate’s pot-smoking colleague who seems to toy with his sexuality.
With 16 to Life, Smith demonstrates her realistic insights on teenage life, rivaling “My So-Called Life” for awkward authenticity points. In fact, one of the most enjoyable things about 16 to Life was its passion. The script was written and executed wonderfully, with many different shades of humor, from blatant to sarcastic to off-hand, but it was all delivered in such a way that it almost dared the audience not to smile for the film’s duration.
