Truly Dreadful Film

Simply A Masterpiece

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Girlfriend is a film that I think really has a subtle power to it. The main character, Evan, has Downs Syndrome and yet this is never overtly a point of the film. It's his obstacle to love and one he has to deal with alone. (SPOILER ALERT)Adding to this loneliness is the fact that his mother passes away unexpectedly. Atmospheric and very well shot, this small town story allows you in on Evan's story and his motivations for his actions. Unlike a lot of big budget films that leave you wondering nothing this movie stays with you and begs discussion. The film surprises you with the heart and warmth of the main character and how his struggle paints the struggles of other characters in the film. If you are at all jaundiced by current big budget fare and needing a jolt of real filmmaking, check this film out. Justin Lerner is a director to watch and I'll be very interested to see the next film he makes.

First, I'm not part of the cast or crew. I'm not "affiliated" with the film in any manner. I watched it at the 2011 Down Syndrome Congress National Convention, and I thought it was well worth the time.Interestingly enough, I wouldn't classify it as a "Down Syndrome" film. I believe it will be just as entertaining and worthwhile to people who have no affiliation with Down as it is to those who do. It's a solid story that highlights some very believable situations.The situations related to Down are very poignant, despite not being the focus of the movie -- Evan's ability to care for himself barely scrapes "minimal." He doesn't have the acumen to deal with an antagonistic boss, he makes some very poor financial choices, and at times he simply wanders off in a child-like manner. However, when his mother dies, he's left without any kind of caretaker. Unfortunately, his situation is anything but a flight of movie fancy; it happens every day.Still, Evan, Down Syndrome, and Evan's uncertain future aren't the focus of the film. Candy brings in another very realistic element: a single mother struggling financially, stuck in an abusive relationship after making some poor relationship choices.I thought the acting was quite good. In particular, Candy's reaction to Evan's infatuation (and the depth of his infatuation) was superb. Jackson Rathbone did well as Russ, too -- with Russ being such a jerk, it would have been easy to make him a caricature "bad guy." Real people are never that one-dimensional, though, and Rathbone added to the realism of the movie by showing some real internal conflict. Yes, Russ is a jerk, but part of that personality is the result of some internal vulnerability and real world events.And Evan Sneider was excellent. Another reviewer complained that Evan was "obviously coached." Well, yes, that's what director do. They coached Katherine Hepburn, they coach Tom Cruise, they coach William H. Macy, and I'm sure Justin Lerner coached Evan. Both Justin and Evan did a fine job.The filming itself was great. I was really impressed by how well the choice of shots emphasized the characters' personalities or relationship with the world.I'm pretty surprised at the snide comments from some of the other reviewers, particularly intimations that this subject matter is somehow "overdone." One reviewer mentions "Life Goes On" -- news flash, folks, that series wrapped up 17 years ago. And the idea that "Girlfriends" is exploitive is ludicrous. The fact that Evan's character is mentally challenged is essential to the plot.Overall, this was an excellent film and certainly worth taking the time to watch.

Please don't waste anymore of our time with this drab. It's apparent that the actors or crew members are posting reviews. That or they're emailing friends and begging them to post a review. I wish I could say something good about this movie but I can't. I'm glad it's over is about that only good thing I can say. My girlfriend and I read about this "project" and thought we would spend our Sunday night at the Tornoto Film Festival seeing something heartwarming and genuine. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. The writing was awful, most of the acting was forced and there were too many holes in the plot to keep track of. I know I'm supposed to like it but no one else in the audience seemed to like it either. After the movie, I heard at least three or four groups of people laughing about what a waste of time it was. Luckily we saw several other great films at the festival that made it worth while. The festival should have given this film a much later time slot so less people would have wasted their time. My girlfriend works in the industry and she wanted to leave 20 minutes into the movie. Sorry guys the movie doesn't work. Excuse any typos - I didn't want to waste anymore time on this movie than I already have.

I went to this movie with a group of 6 friends and none of us liked it. We tried to like it but we just couldn't. It was over acted and not well written. The main character, Evan, was interesting but you could tell he was be coached off screen. The rest of the cast was tolerable but I don't think Oscar will be calling any of them anytime soon. I actually can't understand why the movie was made. Other than some has beens and soon to be has beens, the storyline has been covered. Amanda Plummer was actually the only bright spot in the movie. She was honest and played the part she was given. If the writing is bad it's really not the actors fault. If you have to see it, wait till it gets to RedBox next month and ask a friend to chip in for the buck.