Response papers for the film Smooth Talk - Essay Example

The mother\ always has something nice to say about June, the elder sister, whereas Connie and her mother are always fighting and arguing. That is why Connie plays the proverbial rebel and “acts out,” so to speak, by defying her mother and going to places without informing her. The film, just like the story, takes a nasty turn when Arnold Friend, a man who spotted her at one such place, decides to pay her a visit when her parents are not at home. The film is very closely based on the story, though there are some differences, seeing how it was a feature film based on a short story, certain additions had to be made to accommodate for the length.

The one place where the depiction of characters did not seem “fair” to me was that Laura Dern, who played Connie, did not look like a fifteen year old at all. What is more, she looked a lot older than the girls casted to play her friends. The story mentioned that Connie was pretty, and as far as that is concerned, Laura Dern fit the role well, however, nowhere does it mention that Connie looked older than her age. Another aspect where the film diverged from the original work is that in the story Connie’s father does not spend any time with his family; he does not have much time once he comes home and he does not talk to them much.

However, in the film, Connie’s father not only spends time with his family, but also seems to treat Connie as her favorite child. This takes away from the story, in my opinion. When reading the story, one feels that Connie is completely isolated and feels like she is ignored, and that is why she does what she does: in a bid to get attention. When the film shows Connie’s father being especially attentive to her, it does not convey the sense of isolation that Connie feels, because clearly she does get attention.

Her little trysts as well as her acting out does not make complete sense in this regard, and she comes out more as a spoilt teenager than an isolated one. The rancor between Connie and her mother was aptly explored, however. The scene at the breakfast table, when Connie comes in to eat and her mother is on the phone, was especially poignant in that regard. Even though it seemed like Connie’s mother was castigating her for not picking up a plate, it did convey the exasperation that she felt at Connie not taking interest in anything being done at home.

This was also very nicely shown when Connie’s mother castigates her for not remember to bring her the painting gear she needed (Connie’s mother is painting the house, and, what is more, she feels like she has to do it alone as Connie shows no interest in helping). When Connie and her friend go out separately with boys they have met at the burger joint, Connie is taken to a parking lot. Here she is shown to have engaged in a bit of sexual foreplay. This scene was especially important because Connie is dressed up in a sexy outfit, that makes her feel older than she is (she even lies about being a sophomore to a boy), however, when the foreplay gets a little bit too “serious” she, being the young girl that she is, gets scared and does not know how to handle it.

She says something along the lines of how she has never felt this excited before and that is why she is disturbed by the feelings the kissing and fondling evoke in her. I found that this clearly depicted the theme of the movie: a young girl who wants to grow up fast, but is actually just a scared little girl who cannot handle the emotional baggage