I recently was channel surfing, and happened to land on Lymelife. I hadn't heard of it, but the cast interested me, and honestly, there wasn't much else on.
I was hoping that it would be a comedy, and that Alec Baldwin would unleash some of his Jack Donaghy (or Canteen Boy's Scoutmaster) humor. That didn't happen, but the longer I watched the movie, the more interesting it became to me.
The story is a drama, with some comedy thrown in at times, and centers around a couple of neighboring families, and the family members' individual struggles. The philandering parents trapped in unhappy marriages, dealing with the disappointment of their children's disappointment in them; the childrens' pain of adolescence, crushes, experimentation, bullying, and trying to figure themselves and their place out; the early real-estate boom fueled by the baby boomer generation, and, hence the title, the initial knowledge of lyme disease. All of them play as intensely influencing factors in the development of the story, and with all of the separate plot focal points, it would be impossible, at any age, to not identify in some way with the characters, whether reminiscently or present-tense. I didn't grow up in the 70's, but the late 70's long island setting was a common landscape, extremely relatable to any suburbanite, with it's own victories and difficulties.
The screenplay by Derick and Steven Martini, who appear to be newcomers, is brilliant and relative, but what impressed me the most about the movie was the acting of everyone involved. The characters were clearly robust, and the actors sunk their teeth right into them. Everyone was incredible! The performances you would expect from some of the veteran actors and actresses involved, though not typically all in the same project, were all delivered in this case. For some of the less experienced, or less showcased actors and actresses, it served as a document of their truly strong acting abilities. The Culkin brothers were amazing and interesting to watch, Jill Hennessy was perfect as their mother, and Emma Roberts shed the Nancy Drew, Hotel For Dogs, good time family character we've seen from her before, and showed her capability as a young, but clearly skilled, actress.
As the plotline develops, the viewer delves further into the motivation, frustration, and triumphs of the characters, ultimately remembering similar personal experiences and relating to them in ways few films can facilitate. I obviously became a big fan of the movie, recommend it to anyone, and am looking forward to other films that may deliver what this one did for me. If you have cable, Netflix, or a video store near you, and I'm sure you do, I'm confident that this would be a DVR or rental that you would enjoy and hope you do as much as I did.
Grade: A
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