I so wanted to like All Together Now. A teen girl overcomes difficult circumstances alongside friends in hopes of chasing after her singing dreams and attending Carnegie Mellon? Hits all the right notes for me. But while the movie I watched did see a young heroine pushing through a tough life, it was far too lonely to deserve a title as friendly as All Together Now.
Auli’i Cravalho, best known for voicing the titular princess of Disney’s Moana, plays the lead role of Amber. On the outside, she looks like a busy, upbeat teen. She works multiple jobs, participates in her drama department, and volunteers at the retirement community. But what those around her don’t see is that she is forced to deal with the complications that come with homelessness, including living on a school bus with her frequently drunk mom who is slipping back into an abusive relationship. These are big issues to tackle — and the movie handles them fine enough. However, the PG-rating sanitizes serious discussions about Amber’s struggles, and her too-good-to-be-true persona makes her come off as an unrealistic protagonist. Read more…
More about Movies, Netflix, Fred Armisen, Auli I Cravalho, and Teen Drama
