Phenomenal acting and whip-smart dialogue bring to life this edgy, raw, coming-of-age story about a sensitive high school senior, Melanie, and her struggle to help her anxiety-prone mother, Dawn, from spiraling out of control. In a fine-tuned portrayal of a family under siege, mental health issues move into the foreground just when Melanie is ready to leave for college. All the milestones of her age like prom, first kiss, and graduation, adds more weight as she strives to save the one last person she knows is on her side. This illuminating film treats its heavy subject with just the right amount of levity to be funny yet still retains the gravity of the message that mental illness is not a choice. Lili Taylor and Stefania Owen showcase powerfully vulnerable performances as the co-dependent mother-daughter duo.
