If you enjoyed Bend It Like Beckham, you may not care too much for The Girl With Brains In Her Feet--but if you thought Bend It Like Beckham was a bit trite and predictable, you'll love it. Produced by fiercely independent money man Don Boyd, this is a marvelous kitchen sink drama that oozes period authenticity thanks to some excellent location work in Leicester and features an unpredictable story about adolescent love, sex, and sport in early 1970s Britain. I can't say enough nice things about this little picture: it's a quality production all the way around, with a wonderful cast and a busy story line that will keep you intrigued to the end. Of particular note are Amanda Mealing as the prototypical struggling and bitter single mum, Mossie Smith as her world weary sister, and Joshua Henderson as an ethereal itinerant who takes advantage of the film's heroine, Jackie (Joanna Ward). My only quibble is with the busy songtrack, which threatens to overwhelm the dramatic proceedings from time to time. Overall, however, this is a low budget delight that warrants a much wider audience than the one it has heretofore had.
4 Reviews
Coming-of-age tale in Leicester, england.
seafoam4212 August 2006
I really loved this movie. The lead Joanna Ward (Jack) was a delight to watch. I feel the director really showed the spirit of an energetic adolescent girl. How life is rushing at you, and how you are rushing to get through it. Adolescense that is. What I found most refreshing was that the movie's lead is a bi-racial adolescent. I just have not seen this at all in Hollywood movies. Also the music in this movie captured the mood of the 70's. I couldn't find the soundtrack. So, I went out and bought most of t-REX songs on the soundtrack. I liked them so much in the movie. I just happened upon this movie on cable. It is a small movie that really resonated with me.
Pipped at the post
oldskool7220 July 2002
Its a couple of years since i saw this film, so please bear with me while i remember it through "rose tinted spectacles" but "Girl with.." is the story of a mixed-raced teenager growing up in 1970's Leicester (an average industrial city in the Midlands, UK) and her rites of passage to becoming the adult she wants to be. She is encouraged by her athletics teacher (the now well-known UK actor John Thomson - Pete from "Cold Feet" aka "Life Love & Everything Else" in the US) to follow her dream of being a professional runner, meanwhile her mother is another kettle of fish........
I grew up in 1970's Leicester so it was of particular interest to me, and in that respect it didnt dissapoint. Where it does dissapoint is that the writer/director has tried to tackle too many issues in one (low-budget) film - Racism, coming of age, religion (of sorts), sex, and the great working class dilemma of gifted children being dragged down by the "low achiever" mentality of those around them.
I wont spoil it but the end is just plain weird and almost unconnected - the sort of film where you think "it was watchable... but the ending.... why??". Some re-editing and tailoring of the plot could have put this film up with "East is East" etc (which incidentally was the story of ethnic minority kids growing up in a 1970's Industrial City - it came out a year or so later to a much wider audience).
We are very lucky here in the UK to have so many different cultures (and indeed hybrids of those cultures) that we can draw from and learn from, and sometimes laugh WITH (as opposed to laugh AT) on the big screen. "Girl with" suffered on the humour tip - i think some more lighthearted moments may have helped this film along a little.
An ambitious attempt, which ultimately got pipped at the post...... Great title though!!
I grew up in 1970's Leicester so it was of particular interest to me, and in that respect it didnt dissapoint. Where it does dissapoint is that the writer/director has tried to tackle too many issues in one (low-budget) film - Racism, coming of age, religion (of sorts), sex, and the great working class dilemma of gifted children being dragged down by the "low achiever" mentality of those around them.
I wont spoil it but the end is just plain weird and almost unconnected - the sort of film where you think "it was watchable... but the ending.... why??". Some re-editing and tailoring of the plot could have put this film up with "East is East" etc (which incidentally was the story of ethnic minority kids growing up in a 1970's Industrial City - it came out a year or so later to a much wider audience).
We are very lucky here in the UK to have so many different cultures (and indeed hybrids of those cultures) that we can draw from and learn from, and sometimes laugh WITH (as opposed to laugh AT) on the big screen. "Girl with" suffered on the humour tip - i think some more lighthearted moments may have helped this film along a little.
An ambitious attempt, which ultimately got pipped at the post...... Great title though!!
This movie touched me
vadirtysouth423 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I just saw this movie for the second time today, I can't sit still to watch many movies, but this one I can. I have always missed the first five minutes, which I think are very crucial, given I have just seen the last 90 something minutes. This movie draws you in. The girl, Jack is so lovable and beautiful (don't worry I'm under 18) that you can't help but to keep watching and rooting for her. The movie takes place within a month. In this month Jack is training for a athletic competition, and she wants to "grow up" before it. She deals with many cold issues in this hard month, sex, drugs, racism, abuse and puberty. The movie is set in 1970s England. My cable company listed the movie as a comedy-drama. I don't see the comedy. Thats OK, because the music and lighting made up for it. It is so beautiful. The ending did leave mean wondering.. what? It was so quick, and it leaves you with a few questions. But after you see it it leaves you thinking.. wow. The title is on point, but a bit long. I would have probably gone with "The Cold Month" Also I can't tell who this film is aimed at.. My first guess would be 11-14 year old girls, yet all the cussing.. maybe adults..? Overall this is a great movie, everybody should see it.
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