Chosen Family (Heather Graham, 2024): USA

Reviewed by Luca Rijkhoff. Viewed at Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2024.

(Based on real events)

EXT. SAN ANDRES ST. – NIGHT

LUCA, 19, is on her way home from the Film Festival. She walks fast, and has an umbrella over her head, even though it’s not raining anymore. She’s almost home when she hears voices, her roommates approach her.

LUCA

Hey guys, where are you going?

LAURA

A party, you want to join us?

LUCA

Sure, why not. I still have my logbook with me, though.

SORA

Just take your whole bag with you. How was the movie?

Luca starts walking with her roommates in the direction of where the party is located.

LUCA

To be honest, kind off boring. It was such a disappointment as the closing night movie.

HANNAH

Why?

LUCA

I mean, I am so for the feminine work and stuff, and this woman, Heather Graham, directed, wrote, and was the main lead in this movie.

LAURA

Ah, that’s so cool actually.

LUCA

Yeah, but the story didn’t really have a main plot or theme. It was kind off all over the place.

SORA

Ah, sorry to hear. You still had fun?

LUCA

Yeah, it was fun.

HANNAH

I want to see this movie now to know what you’re talking about. What’s the story about?

The group comes to a stop at a traffic light. Sora impatiently pushes the button a few times.

LUCA

It’s about this woman, Ann, who has a sister that’s a drug addict. The sister is played by Julia Stiles by the way, the girl from ’10 Things I Hate About You’.

LAURA

Ah that’s so cool! I love that movie!

LUCA

Yeah, so, she was very unhinged and all, she doesn’t like her sister very much because of something that happened when they were kids at a wedding. Anyway, their parents are really weird. The dad is very religious and the mom wants to be a singer and constantly asks Ann to help her with her career.

HANNAH

Sounds like a great family.

The traffic light turns green and the girls walk over the crossroad, turn left and continue their way.

LUCA

Yeah, exactly. So in the meantime Ann is a yoga teacher and stuff is going on at work, and on accident she becomes this millennial influencer. Her friends are being supportive the whole time in the movie and I think they are all based on real people out of Heather’s life.

SORA

Does she have a boyfriend?

LUCA

No, well, Max, one of her friends, sets her up with this contractor and they have a good connection, but his 7-year-old daughter is kind off manipulative and tries to get her dad away from Ann. This girl was so funny by the way, but really spoiled.

LAURA

Okay well, sounds like a different movie than we’re used to watch.

SORA

Yeah, we should keep it on our Harry Potter marathon tomorrow.

The girls laugh.

HANNAH

Oh look, there are the other girls, I can already hear the music from the party.

THE END