This film seems to have been made about the afterlife of a real girl named Alyssa Gelfand, to whom the film is dedicated. I long ago stopped wondering what the average person out there thinks is a great film--maybe they all just want to be entertained by the so-called A-list celebrities for the rest of their sad lives. I don't know. But what I do know is that this film, as teenage as it may at first seem, is one of the most poignant, thoughtful, incisive narratives I have ever seen, and I watch about 300 movies a year. And why do I like the storyline of this film so much? Because I believe in an afterlife, and at the same time refuse to believe the age-old lie that a soul either goes to Heaven (wherever that is) or Hell (wherever that's supposed to be, or whatever). There's work to be done here on Earth with our families and friends and even complete strangers, and who's going to help fix it all if we don't make commitments to do so after we die? This is what the character Angie Goodwin does--what she planned to do even while she was still a living teenage girl. This film is even better than two other 'teenage' films I have seen and really enjoyed: Seven In Heaven and Before I Fall, so if you like those, or ones similar to those, you'll love this one. Emma Kennedy, who plays Angie, has got to be one of the most animated, wonderful young actors on the scene today. No, the moguls in Hollywood would never have greenlighted this film, but thank God that great films no longer depend on their approval.
Review of My True Fairytale
