NUSRAT JAHAN PROGGA
“Short Term 12” brings to the table a collision of emotions, with its tear jerking story of deprived and lost children hoping to be found. These kids are not like the typical runaway, cocaine-sniffer rebels you see in other movies. No, these kids represent us and people around us. The young and anti-hippy director of “Short Term 12,” Destin Daniel Cretton, may have made this film as a low-budget independent film, but he chose a strong and clearly-thought-out subject matter that initiated heartaches in everyone watching. The movie was an ardent grand-expose that forced us to delve into the minds of neglected youth.
Most of the story takes place at a group home for at-risk adolescents. In this little home-like place, passionate workers like Grace (played by a very persuasive Brie Larson) and her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.), who are practically like guardian angels to teenagers like Marcus (Keith Stanfield), who is about to turn 18 and is scared of what might happen if he leaves the home. Then there is Sammy (Alex Calloway), who is always trying to make poorly-planned escapes, only to be caught and then embraced by one of the workers. A place with open doors for children who are abused, and a place where these children can learn to love and share instead of slitting their wrists. The workers regularly exchange stories of their hurdles while dealing with newcomers, noting to make it sound funny and embarrassing for themselves, all to make the kids laugh.
Initially Director Cretton ever-so-subtly moves around, giving us a small peek into the rooms and stories of some the teenagers. He created this atmosphere with just the right amount of intimacy to draw us in, before revealing all the sad secrets. He gradually shifts the focus on Grace, a strong woman with personal issues of her own, and then he starts building towards a larger story surrounding her issues. It was not until Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) appeared in the movie that we started to feel sympathy towards Grace who shared a similar history with the newcomer who was sexually abused by her Father who was an important figure in the society.
All in all, it was a successfully-executed slice-of-life drama that gives you the opportunity to think and realize some of the agonizing circumstances the youth of today can go through.