What We're Watching: The Florida Project

[caption id="attachment_4172" align="aligncenter" width="251"] Available at Main Campus Library PN 1997.2 .F56 2018[/caption] This movie was watched by Julie Humphrey, Library Director. Title: The Florida Project Director: Sean Baker Genre: Drama Why did you choose to watch this movie? I had noticed that this film was on many “best” lists for the year and I had seen the director’s previous film Tangerine and really liked it.  I enjoy supporting and watching independent films. What did you like about it? It’s a very moving and powerful portrait of childhood. The acting by the children and adults is incredible. The kids’ adventures, mischief, and wonder is a joy to watch.  It offers a rare view of the lives of people struggling and trying to get by from week to week to survive. It’s the story of a single mother and her six-year-old daughter living in a motel outside of Disney World but it’s also so much more than that. Did it remind you of any other movies? Boyhood, which is another amazing film about childhood and youth. Was there anything noteworthy about the movie? As Roger Ebert said in his review on his website (https://www.rogerebert.com), “It’s enough to make you want to slow down the next time you pass a place like the Magic Castle and look more closely at the lives unfolding there. It takes a very special movie to change the way we look at the people around us. “The Florida Project” is a very special movie.” Who would you recommend the movie to? Everyone. This is an independent movie that deserves a wide audience.  It’s very real, funny, honest, raw, eye-opening, and ultimately heartbreaking. Willem Dafoe was nominated for an Academy Award for his outstanding performance as supporting actor, but the film was widely overlooked at the Oscars. What would you pair this movie with? Some Kleenex for the end of the film!  Also, an ice-cream cone as some of my favorite scenes were of the kids sharing ice-cream cones.