‘American Woman’ gives a captivating study of human nature as it tells the story of a woman named Deb (Miller), living in small-town America. That small town starts closing in on Deb fast when she finds herself facing the biggest challenge of her life. Deb has relaxed values and big dreams but seems to be going nowhere. When in high school, those dreams were dampened by the fact that as a teen, she got pregnant and had a daughter, Bridget (Ferreira). Now, that teenage daughter has had a child of her own, a toddler named Jesse. They’re both living with Deb who, with what little skills she has, does the best she can to care for them.

Living across the street from her wise, older sister Katherine or ‘Kathy’ (Hendricks), who she often quarrels with, helps when she needs someone to turn to for advice. Living that close isn’t always easy but when Kathy isn’t getting into her business too much, they get along. Kathy encourages Deb to stop rejecting her advice but cares for her sister despite her own failures of getting her to listen.

Due to many disappointments in her life, Deb has anger issues and can be difficult to deal with herself. She has learned how to be tough, trusts very few people and is getting harder with each passing year. She comes across as abrasive which is the façade she uses to protect herself. Though she hasn’t seen much proof of love outside of her family, she believes in it and yearns to be cherished… for the time being. There are early scenes that not only set up how selfish she can be but how genuine and caring, as well. Deb has learned to be fiercely independent, however, the little girl inside of her still aches to be cared for and longs to be adored. Despite how everyone feels about it, she dates Brett (Audley) a married man, yet feels liberated to tell Bridget who to date and who not to. Bridget attempts a relationship with Jesse’s father, Tyler (Neustaedter), hoping to get back with him, but her mother doesn’t make it easy. Bridget goes out with him one night, leaves him early and never returns home. Deb blames him but when days pass and the town is organizing a search and rescue group, she fears the worst and turns her attention to her own sanity. Seeing Brett would help! He agrees to meet with her but when he doesn’t show, there is one hell of an intense scene to follow.

Now, her only concern is taking care of and comforting her grandson. We watch as years go by. You know how many by the age of the boy. Deb hooks up with a man named Ray (Healy) because she needs comfort but finds out how strong she is without a man when he abuses her, and she fearlessly takes him on. She grows to the point of deciding she doesn’t need a man to make her whole. She goes to school and starts a career where people count on her to help them instead of the other way around. She meets Chris (Paul) and likes him… though she wants to be romanced, she doesn’t see any reason to pursue a relationship. This drama is heavy. It has great characters embroiled in intense situations. There’s impressive photography throughout this film from start to finish. Several emotional scenes in the film are conveyed without a word being uttered. The overall tone is set right away and like the film’s protagonist, you can’t break free of it no matter what you do.

‘American Woman’ is a tale that displays the strength of family; how they stay together no matter what comes at them but also offers that there’s a time when you must move beyond their support and define your own abilities. Kudos to the performances of the entire cast! By the time the movie’s over, you’ll feel like you’re a part of the family.

In the Phoenix area, see this at:

AMC Desert Ridge 18

Harkins Chandler Fashion Center 20

Shea 14

Superstition Springs 25  

Sometimes, a movie based on a true coming-of-age drama based, on the life of a writer or a director, can be beautiful and moving. But then could also end up like “The Souvenir”, which has a fine setup – but totally misses the execution. When the main character is there in place as a stand-in for the writer/director, you can feel that the message should be delivered thoughtfully. However, here the cast is excellent – but the story meanders and drips out so slowly and in such a convoluted manner that you might kick yourself to stay focused. The level of the actors is so high that they deserve to tell a soaring tale, yet they are given very limited story that barely keeps any interest.

Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) is an English woman in her young 20’s. She is working to strike out on her own, using her skills in photography to get into film school. She has some very loving parents, including her mother Rosalind (Tilda Swinton). Julie has a boyfriend who is much older than she is. Anthony (Tom Burke) is somewhat charming and he has a broad education. But he has many woeful character traits. He works for British government in a high position. But he has left his wife, and he cheats and steals. The worst part is that he has a heroin addiction. Julie tries to see past all the bad stuff, and she accepts him with all his flaws.

They are together is a small flat in town. Anthony has strange hours for work and many times goes abroad. Julie is attending school and working on film project. She wants to make a documentary of a now defunct ship-building operation in a nearby town. How has the shutdown of the plant affected the people that remain? But when she has lunches with Anthony and diners with her parents – she is at a loss of words about how to describe her project. Mother Rosalind thinks that Julie could do much better for herself, by getting into a better school and finding a boyfriend who is not as unpredictable.

So, Julie attends school and meets with Anthony from time to time. They take a trip to Venice. But the little apartment also gets robbed one day. And then later Julie finds a shady character hanging out in the flat, waiting for Anthony. This other guy was looking to score some heroin, and he wants to get some from Anthony. Julie chases him out. But she is worried that Anthony is hooked up in something that is really bad. Anthony is defiant, but later on, he succumbs to the addition more and more. He is on a final downward spiral, and even Julie’s help will not save him. Julie works and struggles to get her documentary completed. Rosalind stops over quite often to see if there is something she can do, or if she can loan her some cash.

The resulting movie is a repetitive series of little scenes from Julie’s life. It is all well and good. But there is nothing compelling or nothing that drives any of the characters. So, the result is two hours of inaction that lead up to a non-conclusion. People pass into the Julie’s life, and people pass out of it. She does not take a hard stand much of anything. Even when Anthony is abusing his situation and taking advantage of Julie – she does not do anything. She remains a passive observer of her own life. This is far from a dramatic, edge-of-your-seat immersive experience. You just sort of see what is happening. The direction is such that the movie becomes a meandering stream of random events.

The acting of Honor Swinton Byrne (as Julie) and Tilda Swinton (as her mother Rosalind) is very believable. But of course, Tilda Swinton is the actual mother of Honor Swinton Byrne, so that is a little like typecasting. Tilda is highly respected and accomplished actor. It seems like her daughter, Honor, will be quite capable of following along that path that her mother has opened for her. Tom Burke has a very difficult role, since he is playing a charming cad who is on a downward slope. He just keeps getting worse and worse, as his character gets consumed by his addition. But it does not help that he is basically a ten-pound sack of manure out in the sun for several days…

When you participate in something meaningful, you might want to bring home a little reminder of what you accomplished. But when it comes to seeing this movie, you might pass on the chance to pick up “The Souvenir”.