Parents' Guide to She Came to Me

Writer-director Rebecca Miller weaves together terrifically complex characters and unexpectedly consequential situations like an elaborate tapestry. But tapestries, while often beautiful to look at, don't really keep you warm. And many people, including teens, don't always appreciate the detailed stitching of a tapestry, instead just seeing what's on the surface -- which makes it interesting to think about how younger viewers might interpret She Came to Me. For instance, Capt. Katrina (Tomei) is an absolute wonder, defined by her zeal and appreciation for a life and career that some might see as unpleasant and gritty. At the same time, she's failing at overcoming her "sex and love addiction," engaging in risky sexual behavior that goes beyond agency; she can't distinguish romantic fantasy from reality, which manifests as stalking. So she's complicated. But the fact that her problematic behavior pays off -- and is even cast in a heroic light -- makes her potentially problematic for teen audiences.

Then there's dad Trey (Brian d'Arcy James), who learns that his adopted 16-year-old White daughter, Tereza, is having consensual sex with her 18-year-old biracial boyfriend, Julian. It triggers feelings of racism, leading him to pursue an action that would land Julian on a sex offender list for the rest of his life. Ha ha? Miller never quite nails the tone necessary to make She Came to Me the "screwball comedy" she intended, and it's a lot to ask of viewers to find humor in statutory rape. That imbalance makes the overall experience just so-so, but with all of the intriguing, well-developed characters and incredible music (including an original song from Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patty Scialfa), She Came to Me would make a fantastic TV series focused on Tereza and Julian. But as it stands, it's a movie that requires follow-up conversation.