Synopsis: Carolyn McDuffy, a college student involved in a sorority, has a perfect life. She has a great boyfriend, good friends, and she believes that everything is beautiful and perfect. Her mother believes that life is easy, that you can exist in a world where there are no problems, and that everything should come easy. The two together are a perfect example blind leading the blind.
Carolyn's sorority, in order to win sorority of the year, begins to participate in the Challenged Games. Each girl is assigned to someone who is mentally slow. They are to work with them and help them to get ready for the games. Carolyn is somewhat indifferent about the idea. She doesn't think that it's right or that their sorority should be participating in it. She finds it risky.
This is before Carolyn meets Pumpkin. Pumpkin is Carolyn's assigned person. At first, she finds it horrible to work with him. She doesn't know where to begin, she's confused, she doesn't understand what he tries to tell her. After Pumpkin talks to Carolyn a little bit, she begins to realize that he has a beautiful heart. She begins spending time with Pumpkin, despite what her sorority sisters, boyfriend, and family say about it.
Carolyn soon becomes confused about her feelings. She begins getting romantic feelings for Pumpkin and she doesn't know what to do. Everything begins to go downhill when her sorority and boyfriend learn this. Carolyn begins to examine her outlook on life and wonder if she was really living to begin with.
Review: Being a big Christina Ricci fan, I was eager to see Pumpkin. I loved the plot, the cast was good, and it seemed the perfect movie to rent, so I did. Perfect? No, not quite. However, it does deserve a second glance.
One thing I found really great about Pumpkin is that it's a movie that you can easily relate to. Everyday we're faced with people who don't approve of the choices that we make. Words can hurt, and they do. This film illustrates that perfectly. Christina Ricci's character, Carolyn, is a popular girl with a seemingly perfect life, but no one's life is perfect. We learn that from this film. While it doesn't go deep into the soul of the character as it could have, we see her problems, her enemies, what makes her tick.
Christina Ricci plays her part perfectly. She's become a very versatile actress since she grew up, and I completely respect her for that. Hank Harris is also very good in his role as Pumpkin. We see the character development throughout the film. It may be a little rushed, but it is completely believable and played very well. At times during the film, you forget you're seeing actors. The whole film is very true to life.
However, some of the film is a little overly-dramatic. Suspenseful music plays several times in the film in places that I don't feel require it. It leads you to believe that something big is going to happen or that you are going to be surprised, but it doesn't and you're not. It's not that type of movie. Another somewhat large occurrence in the film I find unnecessary and a little off in the film involving Carolyn's boyfriend. Some of the girls in Carolyn's enemy sorority are exceedingly more rude than you would expect. While I can see some tension, I don't think it would be that confrontational. A few other scenes aren't crucial to the plot. I also believe that the "F" word was completely misplaced in many instances. While it's not excessive, most of the time the word is overly emphasized and just doesn't need to be there.
There is enough good in the film to make up for those, though. The whole idea of the movie is wonderful; it has heart. At one point in the film, Carolyn begins realizing that she wasn't seeing the world accurately and begins seeing things that are not beautiful. The film peaks there. It's a wonderful moment and you can really feel what she is thinking and understand her.
The film is good and I would definitely considering buying it if I see it for sale. It's not great or perfect, but it's enough and you can see what it was meant to be. Though not a masterpiece or anything original, it'll still win you over eventually.
B- (7/10)
Carolyn's sorority, in order to win sorority of the year, begins to participate in the Challenged Games. Each girl is assigned to someone who is mentally slow. They are to work with them and help them to get ready for the games. Carolyn is somewhat indifferent about the idea. She doesn't think that it's right or that their sorority should be participating in it. She finds it risky.
This is before Carolyn meets Pumpkin. Pumpkin is Carolyn's assigned person. At first, she finds it horrible to work with him. She doesn't know where to begin, she's confused, she doesn't understand what he tries to tell her. After Pumpkin talks to Carolyn a little bit, she begins to realize that he has a beautiful heart. She begins spending time with Pumpkin, despite what her sorority sisters, boyfriend, and family say about it.
Carolyn soon becomes confused about her feelings. She begins getting romantic feelings for Pumpkin and she doesn't know what to do. Everything begins to go downhill when her sorority and boyfriend learn this. Carolyn begins to examine her outlook on life and wonder if she was really living to begin with.
Review: Being a big Christina Ricci fan, I was eager to see Pumpkin. I loved the plot, the cast was good, and it seemed the perfect movie to rent, so I did. Perfect? No, not quite. However, it does deserve a second glance.
One thing I found really great about Pumpkin is that it's a movie that you can easily relate to. Everyday we're faced with people who don't approve of the choices that we make. Words can hurt, and they do. This film illustrates that perfectly. Christina Ricci's character, Carolyn, is a popular girl with a seemingly perfect life, but no one's life is perfect. We learn that from this film. While it doesn't go deep into the soul of the character as it could have, we see her problems, her enemies, what makes her tick.
Christina Ricci plays her part perfectly. She's become a very versatile actress since she grew up, and I completely respect her for that. Hank Harris is also very good in his role as Pumpkin. We see the character development throughout the film. It may be a little rushed, but it is completely believable and played very well. At times during the film, you forget you're seeing actors. The whole film is very true to life.
However, some of the film is a little overly-dramatic. Suspenseful music plays several times in the film in places that I don't feel require it. It leads you to believe that something big is going to happen or that you are going to be surprised, but it doesn't and you're not. It's not that type of movie. Another somewhat large occurrence in the film I find unnecessary and a little off in the film involving Carolyn's boyfriend. Some of the girls in Carolyn's enemy sorority are exceedingly more rude than you would expect. While I can see some tension, I don't think it would be that confrontational. A few other scenes aren't crucial to the plot. I also believe that the "F" word was completely misplaced in many instances. While it's not excessive, most of the time the word is overly emphasized and just doesn't need to be there.
There is enough good in the film to make up for those, though. The whole idea of the movie is wonderful; it has heart. At one point in the film, Carolyn begins realizing that she wasn't seeing the world accurately and begins seeing things that are not beautiful. The film peaks there. It's a wonderful moment and you can really feel what she is thinking and understand her.
The film is good and I would definitely considering buying it if I see it for sale. It's not great or perfect, but it's enough and you can see what it was meant to be. Though not a masterpiece or anything original, it'll still win you over eventually.
B- (7/10)