reviewed by Charity Bishop
         

Have you ever watched a film you have never seen before and felt, deep in your soul, as though you knew the story already? Something about The Man in the Moon resonates with audiences, for everyone can identify with some part of it. Perhaps as a child you had a crush on the neighbor. Maybe your sister stole away someone you loved. Maybe you had a beautiful relationship with your dad. Whatever it is, if you can forge this movie without bursting into tears at some point, it would be a feat beyond what I endured.

Fourteen years old and longing for life to begin, Danni (Reese Witherspoon) spends long summer days skinny dipping in the neighboring pond and listening to Elvis every night before she goes to sleep. Then comes a boy into her idyllic world. He leaps into the pond and scares her one afternoon, and the two get off to a bad start. The Fosters have moved back to the country after the death of their father, and Court (Jason London) now must bear the burden of being the man of the household. Noting that the two are at odds during a family get-together, Danni's father Matt (Sam Waterston) sends them to town for rock salt. The two manage to hit it off and become fast friends, spending long hours swimming together and sharing secrets. Danni has fallen in love and after enlisting kissing advice from her older sister Maureen (Emily Warfield) sets out to have her first kiss.

Court is concerned with the three year age difference between them, something Matt is also not contented with. His troubles are more prominent when his pregnant wife (Tess Harper) winds up in the hospital, at an innocent mistake of Danni. Fatherly concerns for Maureen also darken the household. Then one day Maureen and Court meet ... and are infatuated. Nothing but sisterly love can withstand the storm about to sweep up everyone in its path, when a devastating accident leaves their emotional wheels spinning. The film is both a journey into a far more innocent time, when parents were respected and children forced to work hard to help keep their families financially afloat, and a serious look into love and loss. There are three key relationships depicted, and each of them carry emotional weight. The first is the innocent infatuation Danni has with Court, the ideal of puppy love with the promise of one day transforming into something much deeper. The second is the bond the sisters have, and the third and perhaps most poignant, is the father/daughter aspect.

After losing his temper and taking a belt to his daughter, Matt is brought to tears when she tells him several days later that she understands, and could never hate him for punishing her. When something terrible happens, his arms are the ones that she flies into, and he is the one that comforts her. The family is far from perfect, but they genuinely love one another. The film felt very complete and meaningful at times, but also makes a few mild errors. Mankind's belief that the "empty spot" in your soul can be filled by another person is erroneous. Nothing can truly make you feel whole except a faith in God, therefore Maureen's claim that Court has fulfilled her is a sad glimpse into a mistaken heart. The family is churchgoing, but Matt opts to fish on Sunday mornings instead, citing that it's easier to find God on the lake than in a church full of people.

Danni loves to go skinny dipping and the camera gets a brief look at her bare backside as she leaps into the lake. Foliage covers her beating a hasty retreat at a later date. It's implied that Court goes skinny dipping too, and we see a far-off shot of him jumping in. Maureen's date becomes sexually aggressive toward her, going so far as to get rough with her in the car and push her up against a tree. She fights him off and he takes her home. His lecherous father makes a point to be purposefully flirtatious with her. What disappointed me the most was the implication that Maureen and Court slept together out in the woods. I know it was to frame the foundation for a later event, but an innocent bout of kissing would have been just as impacting. We see Maureen in her under things several times. There's some mild profanity, including one muffled use of GD, and a scene of implied violence, when Matt strokes Danni with his belt as punishment. Most of it happens off-screen, but as a thematic element it's very intense. After a tractor accident, a character is covered in blood. We only see it from a distance.

The Man in the Moon has a rather tragic turn of events amidst a lot of sunny moments of young people experiencing the first stirring of true love, but underlining the story is a message concerning the meaning and importance of family relationships and forgiveness. For fans of the cast, it's a rewarding experience.