Tarnation

I had to cut out early for work so I missed the class's discussion but here's my two cents (so far.) I didn't really get into the film until the midpoint/ending. Although I got the point that it was supposed to be biographical, I felt the beginning seemed like self-promotion... more about who Jonathan was rather than WHY he was that way. I definitely was wanting to see more of Renee and how her presence in his life affected him. However, after letting the movie sink in, I realized that might be the exact point Jonathan was trying to make- her lack of presence. He had to establish the influence this had on the way he spent his childhood/teenage years. His theatrics and creativity definitely were a product of his surroundings, an escape. As the film went on, I loved that Jonathan's boyfriend David was included. Aside from the fact that I'm sure he is a huge part of Jonathan's life and therefore a necessity to the storyline, his "character" serves as such a contrasting figure to Renee's. He appears to be the stabilizing "rock" in Jonathan's life. The scene of the two of them in their new apartment, with the absence of any acting or dramatics, was so heart-warming. In fact, the film, as a whole, succeeded mostly due to how raw and real the home videos are. It really taps into the viewers emotions and makes them feel invested in the story. One of my favorite scenes had to be near the ending, when Adolph tells Renee that "she's too pretty to talk like that" when she swears. She responds with "Fuck you." It doesn't get more authentic than that.