Laggies Takes a Look at Millennials Growing Up
Film: Laggies (2014). Young Actress: Chloe Moretz, age 16.
Ten years after graduating high school, Megan (former young actress Keira Knightley) is still friends with her high school group, and she's living together with her high school boyfriend, Anthony (Mark Webber). But for several reasons - she isn't married, doesn't have a baby, and isn't doing anything with her degree - she doesn't quite fit in with her old friends anymore. When Anthony proposes, Megan panics and tells him that she's attending a week-long, out-of-town personal development seminar to get her life together. But instead, she impulsively crashes with 16-year-old Annika (Chloe), who she met just recently, after Annika asked her to buy beer for her and her friends.
Megan plays Annika's mom in a meeting with her school counselor
Annika tries to sneak Megan into her house, but her single dad (Sam Rockwell, The Way Way Back) catches them, and after Megan gives him an edited version of her story, he agrees to let her stay for the week. To her own surprise, she fits into their lives in a beautiful, comfortable way that almost gives you a feeling of yearning. But what happens when the week is over, and Megan has to return to her real life? I enjoyed this movie so much that I don't want to give anything away. I will say that the characters in this movie are more like real people than role models, and sometimes they do some cruel things. In some ways, Laggies has the same "coming of age late" theme as Joey King's Wish I Was Here, but it's better written, better acted, and just better all-around. It also makes some smart points about growing up and maturing, without ever being preachy.
Annika and her best friend Misty (Kaitlyn Dever)
Chloe is a competent actress, and Annika's personality draws you in, especially since she's so much more of a regular teenager than most of Chloe's characters. I found it very refreshing to see her in this sort of a role. Keira Knightley achieves the sort of chemistry with Chloe that I'd hoped to see between her and Hailee Steinfeld in Begin Again, and Sam Rockwell steals every scene that he's in as Craig, Annika's sarcastic, wounded dad.
Other reviews of Chloe's movies: The Clouds of Sils Maria (2014).
Ten years after graduating high school, Megan (former young actress Keira Knightley) is still friends with her high school group, and she's living together with her high school boyfriend, Anthony (Mark Webber). But for several reasons - she isn't married, doesn't have a baby, and isn't doing anything with her degree - she doesn't quite fit in with her old friends anymore. When Anthony proposes, Megan panics and tells him that she's attending a week-long, out-of-town personal development seminar to get her life together. But instead, she impulsively crashes with 16-year-old Annika (Chloe), who she met just recently, after Annika asked her to buy beer for her and her friends.
Megan plays Annika's mom in a meeting with her school counselor
Annika tries to sneak Megan into her house, but her single dad (Sam Rockwell, The Way Way Back) catches them, and after Megan gives him an edited version of her story, he agrees to let her stay for the week. To her own surprise, she fits into their lives in a beautiful, comfortable way that almost gives you a feeling of yearning. But what happens when the week is over, and Megan has to return to her real life? I enjoyed this movie so much that I don't want to give anything away. I will say that the characters in this movie are more like real people than role models, and sometimes they do some cruel things. In some ways, Laggies has the same "coming of age late" theme as Joey King's Wish I Was Here, but it's better written, better acted, and just better all-around. It also makes some smart points about growing up and maturing, without ever being preachy.
Annika and her best friend Misty (Kaitlyn Dever)
Chloe is a competent actress, and Annika's personality draws you in, especially since she's so much more of a regular teenager than most of Chloe's characters. I found it very refreshing to see her in this sort of a role. Keira Knightley achieves the sort of chemistry with Chloe that I'd hoped to see between her and Hailee Steinfeld in Begin Again, and Sam Rockwell steals every scene that he's in as Craig, Annika's sarcastic, wounded dad.
Other reviews of Chloe's movies: The Clouds of Sils Maria (2014).