The main problem is the way the film deals with Julie's gift for science. She has been secretly reading science magazines for three years, yet can't understand them? Not very likely. And for someone who is such a genius, she is outrageously stupid. OK, so maybe it's about self-confidence and self-acceptance, but even here the story isn't particularly believable as the filmmakers try too hard to show her overcoming her adversity, all of which seems piled on in a cinematic sort of way. But the direction is rather clunky, awkwardly working in flashbacks and trying to be wacky when it's actually a very tentative romance. Taylor and Love are fine in their roles; in fact, the entire cast creates convincing, believable people out of the thin script. But it's all so simplistic that it never really grabs hold.

themes, language

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21.Mar.02 llgff