WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
A constant battle to just BE who we are. Life can be difficult enough when we’re grown up. But, as a child, when existence is supposed to be, ideally, so much more free and exciting, it is harder when things aren’t going that way. Trying to establish our identity while listening to the voices who raise us becoming more and more fractured, the challenge soon seems unconquerable. How can happiness exist when all around us is turmoil? Casey (Oona Yaffe) is a military girl, knowing primarily the consistent upending of her life as she must move from base to base as her father Bill (Michael Perl) is assigned. With tensions between her, her father, and her mother Ayn (Michelle Krusiec) building under the pressure of military life, will Casey even be able to express joy at all, especially when it’s a certain “special day” at her new school?
Next, my Mind:
The fracturing of family dynamics gets partnered with a beautifully uncomplicated but emotionally-charged tale of young life, striving for identity, seeking acceptance, deep-seated need for stability, and to simply have seemingly ever-elusive hope to be settled and content through this 16-minute Oscar qualifying short film from writer/director/producer Kelly Pike, producers Vanessa M. Elliott, Connie Jo Sechrist, and Daniel Walter plus associate producers Ron & Cheryl Sandgrund, Randy Pike, Patricia & Richard Walter, and Joan & Howard Rudominer. While all of the aforementioned aspects of what this critic felt formed the grander core thematic ventures exhibited are present, it IS the actual (and I feel) straightforward manner in which it’s all portrayed that gives the film its punch and resolve while not falling into unnecessary displays of continual melodramatic instances that COULD have been overwhelming the story, at least in my opinion.
The narrative which follows a young tomboy-ish girl who’s part of a military family constantly moving from base to base and the ongoing struggles she is facing to truly BE who she wants to be while also wishing to discover a better harmony between her parents and herself, the abbreviated runtime is an asset and well thought out so as to maximize its shortened span while still delivering its tale with just the RIGHT amount of both muted and explosive gravitas. The addressing of how one totally innocent act of acting out can create a ripple effect so overtly drastic initially but then stays, simmering and festering, is likewise what provides an affecting illustration of youthful rebellion and pent-up frustrations as seen and experienced by someone who only wishes to attain SELF-worth while being involuntarily placed in a firmly structured box of conformity that has taken its toll on her.
The grounded relevance of the film resonates well for me, too, especially given this current atmosphere of unsettledness and overt polarization we’re in the midst of, as it feels like we’re ALL seeking that place of self-respect, worth, love, calm, and most importantly genuine mental well-being. I say this as I believe there’s a definitive underlying thematic intent to address mental health awareness here, and that it manifests during specific moments the lead character is encountering and demonstrating, especially in the context of the project’s interestingly creative and well conceived finale that intentionally lingers on a quick series of moments that SPEAK so loudly to EVERYTHING we’ve seen unfold, cementing it in your mind, and persuasively making you ponder it all, a portrait (figuratively and literally in this case) of the crippling nature inner turmoil and uncertainty of whether the choices we’ve made ARE for the best or not initiates.
This is my first time witnessing Yaffe on screen and as is so consistently the case over the recent years, the wealth of young talent out there is undeniable and quite stellar. Doing what I enjoy so much with films like this that require both subtle and marked emotional highs and lows to deliver a meaningful and engaging character, Yaffe proficiently and credibly exudes the simmering angst and extreme vulnerability necessary through her role as Casey, a young girl battling the realities of not only military life, but the desire to have the image she wants while also still remaining the person she is. Choosing to pursue one small wish that turns into a series of volatile and deeply frustrating, conspicuously painful inward and outward moments between her and her parents, who also appear to be at odds as it is under the pressures of military life, Casey must both endure yet persevere in her decision while seeking desperately needed support and reconciliation.
It’s a wonderful performance that so deftly encapsulates the character’s struggles, but does so in a manner that’s completely accessible in its plausibility. Primary supporting turns come to pass starting with Perl as Bill, Casey’s military father who we can clearly see both adores (and favors) his daughter while also being very expectedly strict and no-nonsense in how he reacts to and treats the family, for good or ill. Krusiec is Ayn, Casey’s mother who more than shows a weariness that spans both within and without, exploding when attempting to retain some semblance of control over a decision Casey wants to make that puts her at odds with her daughter and her husband, a unnerving sense of being ignored prevalent in her demeanor. What I also admired was how all three of the actors mesh as a unit, perfectly showcasing a family weathering multiple forms of strain yet with at least a glimmer of hope for peacemaking, though not at all guaranteed.
Additional supporting roles arrive from Cole Zampas-Klean as Casey’s brother Michael with whom she has a typical sibling, irritability-driven relationship with, Miyu Roberts and Claire Schulze as Penny and Becky respectively, two classmates of Casey’s at her newest school, Alyssa Marie Pearson as a local jeweler, Connie Jo Sechrist as a cashier, along with voice-only appearances by Lori Ada Jaroslow, Matthew Rhodes, Jennifer Holcombe, Daniel Walter, and Juliette Lin. So, in total, “Picture Day” is a solidly directed and dramatically acute exploration of the trials of youth, the consequences of what weighs upon us, the subsequent actions we take, and whether taking a stand for it will allow resolution or simply further outer unrest and inner unease.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
