American Girl

A spoiler light review of American Girl should begin with tone, because Jordan Brady understands exactly how this comedy ought to feel. American Girl gains early credibility from Jena Malone, whose presence is balanced by the different rhythm of Harmony Blossom. The foundation of American Girl can be stated simply: A pregnant teenager is determined to leave her trailer park home with the hope of living a happy family life. Within its 1h 28m running time, American Girl reveals both the benefits and the limits of that disciplined approach.

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Beneath its plot, American Girl is most interested in embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. That concern becomes visible through Jena Malone, whose choices allow American Girl to explore an idea without stopping for a speech. The central character gives the themes of American Girl a concrete dramatic form rather than leaving them abstract. The emotional value of American Girl grows whenever Jordan Brady trusts the audience to connect behaviour with the larger question.

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At story level, American Girl turns the central character and an important relationship into the source of its main tension. The role played by Jena Malone becomes the viewer's route through American Girl, especially when a difficult choice begins to alter the situation. Scott Sandoe gives American Girl momentum by allowing choices to create consequences instead of treating each scene as isolated information. Even when the wider conflict pushes the plot toward familiar ground, American Girl remains attentive to what that pressure means for its characters.

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American Girl relies heavily on Jena Malone, and the performance responds with enough specificity to carry changes in mood. The contribution of Harmony Blossom gives American Girl a useful counterweight instead of merely echoing the lead. Erik von Detten makes the smaller exchanges in American Girl count, often through timing rather than emphatic dialogue. Jordan Brady understands that American Girl becomes more persuasive when the cast can imply feelings before the script names them.

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The craft of American Girl is defined by well judged reactions, supported by well judged reactions rather than overwhelmed by decoration. Tomorrow Film Corporation gives American Girl a production framework in which performer rhythm can remain connected to story. Made from a United States production context, American Girl uses setting and design to clarify mood before dialogue has to explain it. The technical finish of American Girl works because image, sound and editing appear to be serving the same immediate purpose.

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Jordan Brady shapes American Girl with an approach that feels engaging in bursts but unable to maintain the same control. The best directed passages in American Girl establish an objective, let the characters respond and then allow the pressure to change naturally. Worthwhile ideas compete with an uneven structure in American Girl, particularly when Jordan Brady resists the urge to underline an already clear emotion. My main reservation about American Girl is that the pace alternates between hurry and drift, a limitation that interrupts rather than defines the experience.

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American Girl ends as a qualified recommendation, especially for comedy fans who respond to personality and timing. What remains from American Girl is the relationship between Jena Malone, well judged reactions and Jordan Brady's control of mood. The weakness that the pace alternates between hurry and drift narrows the impact of American Girl without cancelling its better work. On balance, American Girl gives its intended viewers a distinctive experience rather than a completely anonymous piece of content.