SUNLIGHT JR
US, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Naomi Watts, Matt Dillon, Norman Reedus, Tess Harper, Antoni Corona.
Directed by Laurie Colyer.
Sunlight Jr is a small film, a film about ordinary people who are down on their luck in life, are not always able to make luck for themselves.
The title refers to a 24-hour small supermarket store where Melissa, Naomi Watts, works and is put upon by the tough manager with his touches of sexual harassment as well. She has been in a relationship with Justin, Norman Reedus, who comes to stalk her once the restraining order time has elapsed. Justin has a young son of his own. Melissa is in a relationship with Richard, Matt Dillon, who is a paraplegic after an accident on a building site. Also in the scene is Kathleen, Melissa’s mother, Tess Harper, a dowdy and drinking woman who takes care, with great care, of some foster children.
Most of the events in the film are fairly ordinary, the difficulties working of in the shop with the manager, especially when he put her on the graveyard shift or else she will lose her job. Melissa has to deal with Justin and his interventions, though he backs down after a fight with Richard. Melissa is pregnant, goes for an ultrasound which costs money, gets mixed reactions from Richard who wants to love the baby but is preoccupied about money, and is drinking. The harassed Melissa makes a decision about abortion. The film just stops in the aftermath, leaving the two characters, as well as the audience, wondering what will become of them.
1. A story of ordinary Americans, 21st century? Issues of finance, family, family support, disability, education and lack of education, pregnancy and abortion?
2. The Florida settings, very ordinary, the store of the title, homes, doctors’ facilities, the fishing wharves? Audiences identifying with the characters and their situations? The musical score?
3. The title, the focus on the store, the range of things sold in the store, open 24 hours, the manager and his attitudes, his superiority, talking down to Melissa, the touches of sexual harassment, Melissa and her work, Vivian, the range of customers, serving the customers, the other work of storing and throwing out goods, the graveyard shift, people depending on the manager to keep their jobs?
4. Melissa, her relationship with Richard, waking up, beginning the day, ordinary, in the car, talk, running out of petrol, Melissa walking, the unbrella, the criticism when she arrived? Richard and his day, getting his disability check, job interview possibilities? Mending electronics?
5. Melissa, her character, strong, her angers with her mother, her mother’s attitudes? The foster children? Playing with them? The past relationship with Justin, the restraining order, his coming to the shop, taunting her, his son and his relationship to him, Melissa with the boy?
6. Richard, his past work, building sites, the injury, the disability, the clashes with Justin, the love for Melissa, fighting Justin?
7. Melissa discovering she was pregnant, the tests, going to the ultrasound because of the bleeding, the amount of cash for the ultrasound? Richard, generally happy, much drinking, clashes with Justin, clashes with Melissa, upset about the money for the ultrasound? Yet wanting to be a father? Reassuring Melissa? Their clash, his driving away, who going to Justin for somewhere to stay, his refusing? Her preoccupations, going to the abortion clinic, the tests, the decision, the procedure, the consequences?
8. Melissa’s mother, dowdy, at home, hard, drinking, paying the rent and the landlord, a love for Melissa, her care for the children?
9. Melissa, her life, focus on the shop, on people? Getting the graveyard shift? Richard and his staying with her, observed by the CCTV, her being fired?
10. Melissa, Richard, possibilities for reconciliation? Her coming home, his being there, loving her? Their sitting in the car? The aftermath of the abortion? What hopes for the future?
