Film Forum - November 3
20th Century Women: Love, life, and the struggles of a mother bringing up a son in the early 70's. The ignorance of a free spirit against the needs of a young man trying to find his true character and beliefs. Living in a bohemian household shared with 3 like-minded spirited people to help pay the rent, his mother tries to establish bonds that he cannot deal with. She cannot deal with his inability to talk, and enlists the help of other females in his life to share the burden of his upbringing. Slowly life unravels for them all without understanding how. In spite of their perceived struggles, they all go on to live defined lives without any serious consequences. [IMDB] Director Mike Mills is a music video producer and graphic designer, which caught my eye since I designed and printed a lot of posters in a former life. This film is about his mother, as “Beginners” was about his dad, who came out as gay late in life. We get to watch the always-brilliant Annette Benning, along with some younger ladies, Elle Fanning and Greta Gerwig try to help a young man grow up. They are aided and abetted by another favorite of mine, Billy Crudup, who seems more comfortable playing interesting characters than handsome leading men. 2016. 119 minutes