20th Century Women (2016)

20th Century Women (2016)

A star-packed coming-of-age story

The Very Best

8.0

Movie

United States of America
English
Drama
2016
MIKE MILLS
Alex Wexo, Alia Shawkat, Alison Elliott
119 min

What it's about

In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields' home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie's upbringing.

The take

Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, and many other big names star in this comedy-drama directed by Mike Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker.) The story spans multiple generations but starts in 1979, where Dorothea Fields (Bening) is finding it increasingly difficult to raise her son alone. She enlists the help of two other women, one her son’s age and the other a New Yorker in her twenties who is very active in the punk scene. The three women, of three different generations and personalities as well as takes on the concept of “only a man can raise a man,” play different roles in this kid’s life. 20th Century Women is based on director Mike Mill’s own upbringing in Southern California.

Comments

I like Greta Gerwig. I liked this movie. YMMV

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Novelist’s Film (2022)

A deeply meaningful and uncommonly tender high point in director Hong Sang-soo's prolific career

8.8

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Little Wing (2024)

An odd blend of genres stuffed into a young-adult story, nevertheless led by great performances

4.9

Irish Wish (2024)

Corny but perfectly serviceable romcom comfort food shot in beautiful locations

5.4

Ethel & Ernest (2016)

A touching memoir of a marriage in 20th century London

7.7

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

Art of Love (2024)

An underwhelming heist romance with all of the style but none of the thrills

5.7

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Shyamalan meets Black Mirror in this hugely entertaining, visually inventive apocalyptic thriller with a killer ending

8.2

The Novice (2021)

An occasionally overwhelming sensory experience about obsession, led by a ferocious lead actress

7.4

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.