The Super Network

12 And Holding is not an easy film to sit through, it actually is quite disturbing at times. The film is about 12 year old kids, and the events which change their lives. Jacob’s twin brother Rudy (Both played by Conor Donovan) dies in a fire which ends up being a prank gone wrong by the town bullies. The bullies get put away in juvenile detention, and Jacob feels the need to visit the main bully, while his parents (Jayne Atkinson and Linus Roache) struggle to deal with their loss and plan to adopt. Meanwhile Jacob’s friends have their own issues, while dealing with their own loss. Malee (Zoe Weizenbaum) has issues with her Psychiatrist mother (Annabella Sciorra), listens in on her sessions and gets a crush on town local Gus (Jeremy Renner) who has his own problems. Then there is over weight Leonard (Jesse Camacho) who wants to eat healthy and lose weight despite his parents (Marcia DeBonis and Tom McGowan) stopping him at every turn. Everything these three main kids are dealing with comes to a shocking conclusion for them all.

This is quite a complex film, it deals with different story lines simultaneously and they each come to their own conclusion. The film shows that everyone has their problems, and their own way of dealing with those problems. Their way of dealing doesn’t exactly feel right, as for example Leonard goes to extremes to try and make his mother understand his lifestyle change and wants her to also make that change. Malee’s crush on Gus, leads to some confronting scenes, as she learns Gus is having his own real problems, and rather then wanting a boyfriend she is really seeking the father figure she is longing for. And then there is Jacob who has a lot to deal with, losing his brother, his parents suddenly deciding to adopt and his strange relationship with the bully involved. This is at heart a coming of age story for these three, as well as an awakening for their parents in their own way.

The themes in this film and the actions the characters take is what I found to be disturbing. These characters are messed up, from the kids to their parents, and it is really sad to see. I felt sorry for them all, and I just wanted someone to give actual help to them. It is so hard to watch as Leonard takes it upon himself to lose weight, and his parents just try to bring him down, even punish him for wanting to eat the right things and even buy clothes that fit him. Malee’s mother just seems so clueless about how much her daughter needs a father figure, despite the fact she is a Psychiatrist and she should know the signs. She pretty much just brushes off the issue, and Malee turns elsewhere for attention and support. Jacob’s journey is probably the most disturbing of all, and to reveal what happens would be spoiling the film, and that conclusion is the most shocking of all.

This is a fantastically written film, everything actually feels very natural, from the dialogue to the actions of the characters. It has a very honest feel to it, and I would be lying if I said this film didn’t make me shed a tear. The performances are all outstanding, the kids are great, and despite some difficult situations they all manage to pull it off. I couldn’t pick just one as the stand out, they all were equally as good. The adults are all equally as good, the stand outs for me were Jeremy Renner as Gus and Marcia DeBonis as Leonard’s mother. The break down scene that Gus has is very moving and raw, both Renner and Weizenbaum are flawless in this scene. The clash between Leonard and his mother which almost leads to tragedy is something very shocking and both did such a great job with those scenes. The interaction between Jacob and the bully in the juvenile detention center are hard scenes to watch, and credit goes to those boys for pulling it off so well. I can easily recommend this film, it is worth a watch. I guess if I were to pick something similar I would compare it to Mean Creek, which is also a fantastic film.

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