Every Day

Based on David Levithan's best-selling YA novel, this teen romance is sweet and well-acted -- with strong messages of empathy and acceptance -- if perhaps not quite as deep as it could have been. Everything in Every Day just seems to go a bit too easily or smoothly: Rhi seems like a lovely person, but what is it that makes A fall for her quite so fast and so thoroughly? We don't get to know her well enough first to understand why (other than the fact that she's the main character) she stands out so far beyond all of the other teens A has spent time with. Later, Rhi buys A's story pretty quickly, all things considered. Perhaps these parts of the plot worked better on the page, when there was more access to characters' inner monologues. And then there's the ending, which -- while emotional -- also seems to work itself out pretty neatly.

Still, it's impossible to deny Rice's charm, especially in the scenes where she seeks out and recognizes A in different hosts. No matter what A happens to look like each day, Rhi is always thrilled to reconnect with the one person who really sees and hears her, and that enthusiasm is endearing. It also helps underline the movie's messages about the importance of empathy, diversity, and unconditional love. Leaving aside the fact that, in the end (spoiler alert!), Rhi winds up with someone who hardly pushes the envelope, her journey to self-appreciation and self-confidence includes spending time with teens in a wide range of races, sizes, and even sexual identities. She loves A in all of them, and A loves her. And that's what really matters.