A PLACE FOR ME

US, 2012, 97 minutes, Colour.
Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connolly, Lily Collins, Nat Wolf, Logan Lerman.
Directed by Josh Boone.

A story about family, American in tone, but universal in many of its values and exploration of values. The difference is that this is a family where writing tends to be the be-all and end-all of life and its meaning.

At the opening of the film, the family is still experiencing the shock and anger of Erica (Jennifer Connolly) walking out on her husband, Will (Greg Kinnear) and her teenage daughter, Sam (Lily Collins) and Rusty (Nat Wolf). She is in another relationship but is still stalked by her husband who believes she will come back (and still sets a place for her at the Thanksgiving Dinner table). Rusty keeps in contact with his mother. Sam is coldly angry, no contact.

Will is a famous novelist who has required his children to write a journal. Sam, only 19, has written a novel but has, without her father’s knowledge, which upsets him, published a book. She is doing writing courses at college, believes that amassing experiences will help her writing – which leads to some heartless promiscuous behaviour. However, she meets a fellow student Louis (Logan Lerman) offering the possibility of something more permanent in her life. Rusty writes poems for his literature class, thinks Stephen King is the supreme novelist (and King is featured as himself in a phone call later in the film). Rusty and a friend smoke pot – as, it seems, do most of the students. However, he is attracted to Kate (Liana Liberato) who has serious drug problems and becomes something of a Sir Galahad, trying to rescue and help her.

A lot of the dialogue is about writing and creativity, Will subscribing to Raymond Carver’s words about listening to one’s own heartbeat and the heartbeats of others and distilling those experiences in writing.

The family lives in a quietly permissive America but, deep down, in each of the characters, there is a presumption of decency and a hope that, despite mistakes and betrayals, all could be well.

1. The range of titles, the meaning: Writers, Stuck in Love, A Place for Me?

2. An American story, a universal story, the North Carolina settings?

3. The writers’ world, ethos, talent, pressures, creativity, success, publication? The quotation from Raymond Carver, the author’s heart beats, people’s heart beats?

4. Affluent America? Homes, the beach, school, college? The atmosphere? The songs?

5. The opening, the characters, the lines written on the screen? Rusty, Will, Sam? The tone?

6. The family, the past, life over one year? Writers? The family situation, Erica, gone, her new partnership? Will and his continued love and hope? Rusty and communication? Sam and her anger? The empty seat at the thanksgiving dinner?

7. The character of Will, his age, his situation, his wife, and two years passing? His stalking her, looking in the window, seeing her quarrel, chased by the dog? Prepared to wait? His relationship with Rusty and Sam? Making them keep journals? Checking on them? Being caught reading Rusty’s journal? His own success and reputation? The professor and claiming him? Stephen King’s line of admiration? Slowed down because of his crisis? The affair with the neighbour? His attitude towards life, more permissive, wanting Rusty to have experience? But Rusty stoned, Sam promiscuous? His reaction to the news about her book, pique, editing the novel, no knowledge of the new book? His moodiness? Rusty at home? His comment about Flannery O’Connor?, and an author not needing more experiences after 20?

8. Rusty’s story, writing? Attraction towards Kate in class, the nosebleed, writing the poem, reading it for her? His relationship with his father? Going to his mother’s Thanksgiving dinner? Jason and getting high? Getting the drugs, the entry into the party? Seeing Kate with the cocaine? Punching the boyfriend? Taking her home, looking after her, her staying the night, Will and his suggestions? Going to Sam’s launch? Happy with Kate? Kate drinking the champagne, with Sam pretending about her age, the reaction of the barman? The search, rescuing Kate, punching Gus? Kate and her going into rehabilitation? Rusty and his being bashed? His writing the story, giving it to Sam, the phone call from Stephen King, the Thanksgiving dinner, opening the door to his mother?

9. Sam, her age, skill in writing, precocious, cold attitude towards sex, interviewing the boy? Callous, promiscuous?? Publication of the book, her father’s reaction? In the bar, the band, meeting Lou? Forming a bond, communicating, possibility of something permanent? Going to her party, Lou inviting Erica? Sam snubbing her mother at the signing, hurting her? The search for Kate? Rusty upset? Her sending his story to Stephen King? Will telling the truth about his affair in the past, his leaving, Erica waiting? Sam going to her mother, the reconciliation?

10. Erica, her leaving, her new relationship, the Thanksgiving dinner, the talk with Rusty about journalling, clash with the man? Her talking with Will? Going to the signing, Will encouraging her, the cold reception? Her helping with the search for Kate? Truth about the relationship in the past and her waiting? Her coming to the Thanksgiving dinner, the new place at the table?

11. Lou, and the band, talking to Sam, nice, classes, the invitation to Erica, Sam snubbing him, his mother’s death and Sam going to console him?

12. Kate, her age, absent parents, drugs, disturbed, her being rescued by Rusty, the drinking, her collapse, rehabilitation?

13. College students, high school students, the parties, drugs, sex?

14. Will and his speech at the launch, the words of Raymond Carver?

15. Hope, love, forgiveness, reconciliation?