Short Term 12 (2013)
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.
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18 films that influenced Short Term 12
What critics say influenced Short Term 12
But for my money, the most startling performance among many in “Short Term 12” comes from an unknown young actor named Keith Stanfield, whose haunting portrayal of a terrified 18-year-old about to age out of the home recalls Matt Damon’s similarly expressive breakout performance in “ Courage Under Fire .”
What’s refreshing about this drama is that it bows neither to the stereotype of a horrifying institution, à la One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, or a syrupy tale of a problem teen who undergoes a dramatic transformation.
It’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” for the new generation, and instead of evil Nurse Ratched, they get beneficent surrogate mom Grace, who in truth has struggles of her own.
A far cry from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" caricatures, "Short Term 12" is imbued with enthralling naturalism, right down to a cast that includes real patients.
There have been many films about at-risk teens receiving guidance from a surrogate parental figure, from Stand and Deliver to Freedom Writers to The Blind Side, which tend to feel false due to waterboarding the audience with sentimental inspiration and self-congratulatory smugness instead of honesty.
(When Grace picks up a baseball bat with the intention of seeking vengeance, Cretton unwisely ventures into Death Wish territory.)
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He figures in just a few scenes, but when Grace demolishes his favorite desk lamp, it’s as satisfying as Mister Roberts tossing his skipper’s beloved potted palm into the drink in “Mister Roberts.”
It’s one of those performances, like Elizabeth Olsen in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” where a young actress comes seemingly out of nowhere and becomes indelible.
Her work in Short Term 12 should get her noticed in much the same way that Amy Adams turned heads for Junebug , Jennifer Lawrence escaped relative obscurity with Winter's Bone , and Elizabeth Olsen showed her talent in Martha Marcy May Marlene .
Her work in Short Term 12 should get her noticed in much the same way that Amy Adams turned heads for Junebug , Jennifer Lawrence escaped relative obscurity with Winter's Bone , and Elizabeth Olsen showed her talent in Martha Marcy May Marlene .
Named for a fictitious California foster care facility, this movie has the dash and esprit of service comedies like “MASH” and the harrowing emotions of misunderstood youth films like “The 400 Blows.”
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There have been many films about at-risk teens receiving guidance from a surrogate parental figure, from Stand and Deliver to Freedom Writers to The Blind Side, which tend to feel false due to waterboarding the audience with sentimental inspiration and self-congratulatory smugness instead of honesty.
For an example of how badly wrong this sort of thing can go, just think Patch Adams , where the manipulation never stopped coming.