“The world is irretrievably broken,” writes Michael Chabon. Thus, “the question becomes: What to do with the pieces? Some people hunker down atop the local pile of ruins and make do… Others set about breaking what remains of the world into bits ever smaller and more jagged… And some people, passing among the scattered pieces of that great overturned jigsaw puzzle, start to pick up a piece here, a piece there, with a vague yet irresistible notion that perhaps something might be done about putting the thing back together again." Short Term 12 is about the third kind of people. That fact alone makes it unique to say the least, but what makes it truly special is the love and patience with which it was put together.
This small miracle of a movie was originally a short film writer/director Destin Cretton made when he was a student. He went on to win the Academy Nicholl Fellowship for his screenplay which allowed him to remake it into a full length feature. It’s amazing that this film -- which deals honestly with issues ranging from child abuse to suicide and the workings of a broken, though helpful, government institution -- even got made at all. It must have taken incredible courage from Cretton as well as his cast and crew, particularly Brie Larson, to tell their story, a story that seems more real than many documentaries. People need stories like this. As Alissa Wilkinson mentioned in her review, we need to be reminded that the world is not saved by a guy in a bat costume beating criminals to a pulp, but by regular people who struggle with their own issues even as they try to fix the world around them.
Short Term 12, so called because it is an institution where kids stay for a year at most. “We just keep them until the county knows what to do with them” says Grace, one of the workers and the protagonist of the movie. There are kids from every class and race, each with an assortment of problems, but they all happen to find themselves in the care of Grace. I wouldn’t say she has a “savior complex,” but she does try to make everyone else better off, knowing precisely when to act and when to back down and let the kids unwind by themselves. The only problem with helping so many people is that she rarely gets to take care of herself, a task taken up by her benevolent and charming boyfriend Mason, who also works at the facility. The film observes their ordinary lives and the work they put in day in and day out, letting their heroic actions speak for themselves. I won’t divulge more of the plot; this is just one of those movies where its better to go in cold and discover its charms exactly in the manner the director intended.
Brie Larson as Grace is lovely and compassionate, absolutely graceful playing a character who’s barely capable of taking care of herself yet manages to be considerate and loving to every single one of the kids under her care. I don’t know which is more remarkable, the character she plays or the way Larson brings Grace to life in such a delicate, humane manner. It’s the performance of the year. Not to be overlooked is John Gallagher Jr. as Mason who brings in much needed comic relief, but who also has his own life and problems to face. A small detour to his family home is one of the film’s best sequences, a welcome respite from the harsh reality of the rest of the film, and an affirmation that good things happen in the world, something the movie, as bleak as it gets, never forgets. But the movie exists to remind us, again, that the world is broken.
In an early scene the new worker, Nate,when asked why he wanted to work at Short Term 12, slips up: "I've always wanted to work with underprivileged kids,” he says. Nate’s a nice guy, but he quickly realizes that he’s a bit over his head. Immediately you can feel the tension in the room. Then one kid loses it, something that devastates poor Nate and anyone in the audience unexperienced in the foster care environment, which I assume is most of the audience. That is but one of many uncomfortable, truthful moments that shows how fragile life is in the shelter, where any situation can explode due to one innocuous comment or misplaced word.
To face their troubles, the characters often turn to art. They make music, draw painting, tell stories. Maybe someone will hear their plights if they express them in the right manner. Marcus raps. Jayden writes. Grace draws. Eventually, these works of art allow them to express themselves to someone capable of working with them and helping them overcome their problems. Not everything is resolved in the end, but the film is optimistic that things will work out. Short Term 12 concludes as it begins, but the ending feels monumental, and leaves the characters in a position to deal with whatever they come across in life, good or bad.
It is raw. It is exciting. It is absolutely beautiful. A a roller coaster of pure emotion, with a thoughtful critique going on in the background too. Short Term 12 will tear you to pieces as you watch it and will leave you thinking about it long after the credits roll. It’s a marvel, and I almost let it go by, barely knowing anything about it before watching it. Now I’m glad I watched, because this is what cinema’s about. Stop reading now, and start watching. You won’t regret it.
Verdict- 4/4
Short Term 12 (2013) 1h 36min. R
