Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

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Parents' Guide to

Camilla Dickinson

By Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Earnest, slow drama shows teens dealing with mature themes.

Movie NR 2015 117 minutes
Camilla Dickinson Poster Image

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Is It Any Good?

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The basic disconnect between two sets of parents and their teen children is at the heart of this slow-moving, mostly humorless drama that will have little resonance for today's kids. Three sets of parents are portrayed, all as one-note entities: the cold, narcissistic, immature couple; the alcoholic, abusive parents; and, finally, a mom and dad who, though they've lost their only child to an accident, are ever-smiling, ever-understanding, and head-over-heels in love with each other. It's no wonder that the three teen protagonists are baffled by their lives and what is expected of them. Note that Madeleine L'Engle is credited as one of the screenwriters, as is the director. The result is a well-meaning effort to bring a dated, unsubtle, and spiritually simplistic story to modern young audiences. On the plus side, the film has strong production values: set design, costumes, editing, and a wonderful performance by Colby Minifie as Luisa.

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