Review of According to Greta (2009) by J K — 01 Aug 2010

I treated this movie like a blind date with my nerdy best friend?s cousin. You know, the one with the ?good personality? and ?skin issues?.

I was expecting to just spend an evening with a ?video? movie. One of those movies that you hope won?t be a waste of time. There?s nothing on TV. There?s nothing much to do.

So, I wasn?t expecting much. . . . A direct to video movie? No Hollywood promotion? Hillary Duff? OK, she?s cute . . Can she act her way out of a paper bag? . . Nice to see her growing up . . I guess . . . hasn?t gone Lindsay . . .that?s good . . better Goggle to make sure. (Yep. No police record. . she got a parking ticket? . . Man, talk about a fish bowl . . she got engaged? . . . that?s actually kinda sweet. . . ).

This is low budget. Teen angst. Formula.

Love interest. Check. Problems with a parent. Check. Smart mouthed, attractive teenager. Check. Above average IQ and school?s a drag. Check. Boyfriend from the wrong side of the tracks? Check. Loving, wise and understanding older person(s). Check.

Will she come around? Umm. . . I wonder . . . Will the sun come up in the morning?

OK, it?s a formula.

But there is a reason that they make lots of romantic comedies and action movies and comic book movies.

Sometimes, formulas work.

And this is one of them.

During the first part of the movie I struggled to like the character. (Good things she?s attractive.) But I noticed a lot of lines and themes range true. I?m paraphrasing, but I remember things like: ?Look, I come home when I want. Do what I want. When I want to do it.? (Sounds like most teenagers I know. Although most aren?t stupid enough to verbalize it.).

We see her struggle. Have a first romance. Get a first job.

She pushes buttons. Lots of them. One of the joys is when her love interest pushes back. ?Look, it was a joke.? . . . ?Well, I don?t like being the punch line to one your jokes!?

Her actions have consequences. She mouths off to customers. The boss gets after her. She?s nasty to the neighbor. Her boyfriend almost gets arrested. She acts recklessly. Her grandmother winds up in the hospital.

Do you notice a theme here? Her problems affect others. When discussing her suicidal tenancies, grandma says: ?No, the worst thing is not taking you own life. It?s taking someone else with you.?

And that?s what Gretta almost does. This is a theme teenagers need to see. They act out. Someone else pays the bill.

Because it?s a formula, we are led to believe there are happy endings. But grandma will be on medication for the rest of her life. And Mr. Right may not be there to walk off into the sunset with her. Because actions have consequences.

I particularly liked the theme of the suicidal teen, haunted by the suicide of a family member. Recently I was reading that if a parent commits suicide it?s 3 or 4 times more likely that their child will follow suit. I didn?t know that. Without being overly preachy, this movie addresses this theme of how suicide affects others.

I should mention that Hillary Duff can indeed act her way out of a paper bag. This movie requires so much more of her than anything else she?s done. Oh, and Ellen Burstyn is simply wonderful. There is a reason she won an Oscar.

A last note ? in the ?special features? section of the DVD the cast/writers/producers talk about how fans would stand in line for Hillary every day and every day Hillary signed autographs, offered to have her picture taken with them, and treated them with respect It must get old.

But Hillary has the humility and heart to realize how much this means to those fans. That in 60 seconds she can give a fan a memory for a lifetime. Way to go kid. I wish more adults acted like you.

You may be looking for a ?video? movie tonight. Nothing much else is out there. Please consider this under the radar movie. It was a far more than I ever expected.