LYMELIFE

US, 2008, 95 minutes, Colour.
Alec Baldwin, Rory Culkin, Kieran Culkin, Emma Roberts, Jill Hennessy, Timothy Hutton, Cynthia Nixon.
Directed by Derick Martini.

This is a film about American families. It was made on a small budget, written by its director, Derrick Martini and his brother.

Alec Baldwin and Jill Hennessy are the parents of two boys, played by Kieran and Rory Culkin. They live next door to a family with Timothy Hutton and Cynthia Nixon as the parents and Emma Roberts as the daughter. There are complications in the interactions between the parents as well as of the children. The story is seen from the perspective of the younger boy, played by Rory Culkin, and his infatuation with Emma Roberts.

The performances are well judged, and breathe life into the conflicts.

The title refers to a virus and an illness with th psychological and physical consequences.

1. A picture of Middle American life? Family? Status? Prestige? Dysfunctional behavior? Problems?

2. The Long Island setting, the motif of streets, houses, models? The woods and the deeer? Homes, church, school?

3. The title, the disease, Charlie and the experience, not Mike? The effect, the description? Consequent behavior?

4. A film of optimism and pessimism? The perspective of the director’s life?

5. The focus on Scott, Rory Culkin’s presence and performance? Age, slight, the mirrors and his hopes? The mother and madness? The father, the role model? Adriana, the neioghbour, love? Jealousy, talk, his brother? Humiliated, bashed? His brother’s defense? The bonding, the talk? Time passing? The role of the church, Christmas? Becoming an adult? Seeing his father, the confrontation, the father out, reconciliation or not? Charlie? The drama and the encounters? The coin? Transition? Rooms? The night, the aftermath, the future?

6. Mike and his wife? At home, the meals, his life? The wife as quiet, anxious? Mike and the clash? The outing? The accident, Christmas? The dance and the neighbor’s wife? The outbursts, relationship with the sons? Exasperation? The final confrontation, talking, the meeting, events, the possibilities? Mike and his work, building, the estate, the house? Surprised or not? The neighbor’s wife, the sexual approach, excuses? Angers and blame? Of loading his feelings? The interactions? Scott, reconciliation, death?

7. Charlie and his wife? Illness, tension, the job, going out? Exasperation? Sex, the dance? The plans, the final scene? With Scott, talking, the experience, overhearing? The warning, no job? Antagonism, the gun, the killing? The bar clash with Mike?

8. Adriana, age, parents, at school, old live and Scott? With the brother, the talk, sexual experiences?

9. Jimmy, the older brother, clash of the family, relationships, love a life? Tough?

10. The kids, fighting, bullying, the parents and their reaction?

11. The plot and subplots? The back story? The end, what outlook?