All Over Me

All Over Me (1997)

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Please note: This review sucks. I wrote it in high school. It will be updated within the next six months.

ALL OVER ME

Reviewed by Heather Picker

Directed by Alex Sichel. Written by Sylvia Sichel. Starring Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff, with Cole Hauser and Wilson Cruz. 1997, 95 min., Rated R (for adult themes, including drug use and violence, and profanity).

The teen coming-of-age film came to popularity in the 1950s and over the years has gone through many changes, from the angst-filled rebellion melodramas of the 50s to the beach fluff of the early 60s, wistful looks back at the brink of adulthood in the 70s, and John Hughes in the 80s. Along come the 90s, somewhat harder to define. Raging hormones, insecurity, and the internal conflict between wanting independence but fearing adulthood can be seen more on television, which has become a wasteland for teen-oriented programming, than in the movies that the same actors and actresses from the over-hyped TV shows are starring in. Where is a viewer looking for an intelligent look at normal teens supposed to turn? All Over Me, the feature film debut of the writing and directing Sichel sisters duo, is high on the list of alternatives.

Claude (Alison Folland) and Ellen (Tara Subkoff) are inseparable. They spend almost every waking hour together at the Hell's Kitchen apartment Claude lives in with her mom. Their bond is closer than close, the type of intense friendship that has a way of alienating those around them. Claude loves Ellen in a more-than-friendly way, and Ellen seems to reciprocate but can't deal with her feelings and turns to a homophobic, drug-pushing boyfriend, Mark (Cole Hauser of Higher Learning) and begins a downward spiral into drug addiction.

As she begins to fully realize and accept her sexuality, Claude becomes friends with Luke (Pat Briggs of the alternative rock band Psychotica), her neighbor, and Jesse, who works with her at a pizza place (Wilson Cruz, playing a role similar to his character on the late TV show "My So-Called Life"). Both of them are gay, and her frustration over the Ellen situation is both eased and complicated when she meets Lucy (Leisha Hailey of The Murmurs, who contribute a song to the soundtrack), who performs in a rock band, which has long been a dream of Claude's, one that she used to half-heartedly pursue with Ellen. Claude and Lucy begin a stop and go relationship that nicely progresses as Claude grapples with Ellen drifting out of the picture.

As the fates of these two high school students with the expanding rift between them become clearer, so does the depth of the performances. Folland (To Die For) brings all of the elements of Claude, curiosity, fear, awkwardness, uncertainty, beautifully to the screen. Though portraits of teen druggie characters usually lose credibility through over-exaggerated acting, Subkoff is understated. The supporting cast, including Hauser, Cruz, musicians Briggs and Hailey, and Ann Dowd as Claude' mom, Anne, is also good.

Alex Sichel directs, based on one of the few recent scripts to treat various teenage topics honestly, written by her sister, Sylvia. All Over Me has a terrific soundtrack featuring music from Ani DiFranco, the Geraldine Fibbers, and Sleater-Kinney, among others. Cinematography by Joe DeSalvo. A Fine Line release.

Availability: All Over Me is available on video and DVD.

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