A movie that never gets old. A movie that is simple, and cliche yet so beautiful and memorable.
Most of us go through moments in our lives where we have crushes. Some of them lasted a long time, while others didn't. Maybe it's because when we learn more about someone, we either fall more or fall out of love. But that's the beauty of love. It opens our hearts to unexpected experiences. The movie titled "Flipped" was adapted from a young adult novel by Wendelin Van Draneen. The comedy-drama romance movie has a running time of one hour and thirty minutes and is directed by Rob Reiner.
Flipped was released on September 10th, 2010, and received two awards: Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress (Stefanie Scott) in Young Artist Award 2011, Truly Moving Picture Award in Heartland Film 2010, and two nominations: Best Comedy in AARP Movies for Grownups award 2011, and Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor Ten and Under Ryan Ketzner.
The movie is a story of young love between Bryce Loski and Julianna “Juli” Baker. The story begins in 1957 when Bryce's family moves into the Bakers' neighborhood and meets Juli. When they first met and unintentionally held hands, Juli was captivated by his eyes and knew right then that she had been flipped. Bryce, on the other hand, disliked her and wished to distance himself from her. He tried to avoid her as much as he could, but Juli concluded that he was simply too shy to tell her how much he loved her.
The focus of the movie just wasn't on a young love story. It is also about family, friendship, self-discovery, and sincerity. It demonstrates several life lessons that we should understand and acquire at a young age. It began with Juli's favorite tree to climb up to gaze at the world's beauty, a sycamore tree. When the owner intended to cut down the tree, she was opposed to it because she had fallen in love with it. She was particularly hurt when Bryce turned away from her since he believed it to be just another ordinary tree, as did most others. We can get moral guidance from the fact that people perceive the same events in a variety of ways. As a result, we must develop empathy, kindness, and an appreciation for the world around us.
The movie also shows a different point of view of Bryce and Juli. Even though there is a lot of repetition in the film, it highlights distinct storylines between the two individuals that make it intriguing since they each have a different perspective on things. It also emphasizes how different their way of life is. For instance, Juli grew up in a loving and compassionate family, whereas Bryce grew up in a more complex home where people were quick to criticize others based on how they perceived the situation. We are reminded of the adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover," because Bryce's family makes assumptions about Juli's backyard and eggs without realizing that they don't have the budget for it and that most of their money was handed to Julie's uncle.
The perspectives of the two characters would fascinate and make us anticipate how two people with contrasting thoughts and feelings for each other would come along. It also highlights how different each character's personality is. Juli is a patient, compassionate, strong, and persistent young lady. She frequently climbs trees, appreciates little things, and dares to speak out for herself and what she believes is right. Bryce, on the other hand, is a coward and has many worries. He is reluctant to ascend the sycamore tree and is too frightened to speak out for what is right. For instance, when he agreed with his friend who was mocking Juli's uncle, which was the reason why she stopped adoring and loving him. However, character development is not too late as long as you realize and reflect on your mistakes. It gives us the "She didn't change me. I changed myself for her" vibes when Bryce realized her feelings for Juli.
The last part of the movie shows Bryce's realization of the terrible things he had done and his willingness to repent and prove his affection for Juli. The ending was left open-ended. With their hands holding while planting the tree, it makes us speculate that Juli will give Bryce a second chance. It was just a simple ending yet so meaningful.
The film is without a doubt deserving of the Truly Moving Picture Award. Its excellent cinematography made the audience feel like they were a part of the picture. Furthermore, the characters' monologues don't make it dull or uninteresting. Instead, it makes us feel that they are revealing their thoughts, which helps us empathize with the characters more. For instance, the camera shaking in the scene where Juli's uncle, Daniel, lost control at the ice cream shop made it more intense and relatable.
The film's success would not have been possible without the characters' incredible acting abilities. Their emotions were so palpable that you could not help but win the audience over. The movie's editing was excellent as well; for example, the slow-motion effect used in the scene where Bryce and Juli will hold hands at the beginning of the film lets viewers eagerly await what comes next. We were made to feel as though we were in the 1990s by using locations like school and home, vintage colors, and 90s music. Overall, despite having no nudity or kissing scenes, the film was excellent in evoking nostalgia and leaving viewers feeling excited and with butterflies in their stomachs.
Being in love is a wonderful experience. The film serves as a reminder of our first love, teenage love, breakups, and subsequent rekindlings of our romantic relationships. It demonstrates how love can change us and how we can better ourselves to be deserving of the ones we love. However, Love cannot last forever on its own. Love must constantly be maintained with sincerity, trust, and mutual understanding. Furthermore, there should be no hurry because when the time is right, we will fall in love with someone and discover that we are flipped.
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