Twelve And Holding
Michael Cuesta
USA | 2005 | 90mins | 35mm | Colour
Deep in the heart of middle-class suburbia, three close-knit twelve-year-olds – introverted Jacob, precocious Malee and vulnerable Leonard – embark on their torturous journey of self-discovery and begin to distinguish their own voices from those of their parents.
Sparked by the tragic death of Jacob’s twin brother, Rudy, as he tried in vain to protect their beloved tree-house, the remaining trio unite as they grapple with feelings of revenge, the unbearable burden of grief and the indelible experiences of growing up. Jacob befriends the juvenile killers responsible for his brother’s death somehow hoping to avenge his death; Malee becomes dangerously obsessed with one of her mother’s patients while Leonard, having lost his sense of taste while attempting to save Rudy from the fire, undergoes a strict exercise and diet regime which extends to the members of his immediate family.
The film enters the intricate and often humorous world where adolescence and adulthood collide, and is an exploration of the complexities associated with children losing their innocence and adults struggling to be the guiding force.
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