FOREVER MY GIRL
US, 2018, 108 minutes, Colour.
Alex Roe, Jessica Rothe, Abby Ryder Fortson, Peter Cambor, John Benjamin Hickey.
Directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf.
In many ways, Forever my Girl could remind audiences of faith-based films. It has that small town atmosphere, this time in St Augustine, Louisiana, a focus on church and a minister, some sermons on forgiveness and mercy. However, it was made by a commercial company as an entertainment.
Josie, Jessica Rothe, is jilted by her fiance, Liam, a young man with a talent for singing who suddenly becomes a celebrity and goes on tour. He is played by British actor, Alex Roe.
The action shifts to 8 years later, Liam is in crisis, has adoring fans all over the world but feels the pressure, relying on his managers and publicist, rather impractical in dealing with day by day matters.
When he hears that a childhood friend has died at home, he comes back. Audience expectations are high about how he will deal with Josie, with the news that they have a daughter, Billy (a rather precocious performance by Abby Ryder Fortson who appeared in the two Ant Man films). There are quite a number of tense scenes (after Josie vigorously punching him after the funeral). The complication is that the Minister of the town for many years is Liam’s father, Billy’s grandfather.
On the one hand, the film follows Liam, his having to discover himself in relationships, as building a relationship with his daughter. On the other hand, the film also follows Josie, her attitude towards Liam, the gradual relenting, her care for her daughter. All is going well when a crisis occurs and Liam is paralysed, unable to help his daughter who is choking – which reminds him of how he reacted at his mother’s death.
Clearly, the film will have a happy ending but there are many difficulties along the way.
1. A popular story for an American audience? Family, children, successful country singer? Religious dimensions?
2. Louisiana, St Augustine, the small town, homes, school, flower shops, church? With a variety of scenes of concerts and performances?
3. The musical score, the range of songs, the significance of the lyrics?
4. Josie at the church, her friends around her, the talk about Liam and his popular success? Mason and his wife? The news that Liam would not be coming? The impact on Josie?
5. Eight years later, the focus on Liam, his life as a singer, on tour, Sam, the managers, the publicist and her stories? The fans, the magazines? His choice in life?
6. The news of Mason’s death, Liam and his decision to go, arriving home, at the funeral, Josie and her punching him? His seeing Josie with Billy? The audience discovering that the minister was his father? His staying at home, criticisms of the coffee, his father making him wash the cup? His father’s anger with him?
7. Liam, waking up in the hotel, the girl, his running down the street, wanting to get his mobile phone fixed? To get the one message? The audience later discovering that this was the message the Josie had sent about Billy’s birth?
8. Liam, tracking down Josie, at the flower shop, her anger with him? The discussion, Is Asking about his being the father? The conversation different from what Josie anticipated? Liam and his plea to get to know Billy, to pick her up from school, to come for a meal? Billy wanting this?
9. Liam, dependent on everybody to do practical things for him, credit cards, how to shop online…? Eventually succeeding, buying the toys, the coffee maker for his father?
10. His decision to stay, Sam and is manager, at home with his own children, exasperated, doing everything for Liam, making allowances because of the death? The other members of the staff? Doris, the agency, her wanting publicity stories?
11. Liam the shop, turning the magazines, discovering that people were still hostile to him in the town? The old lady in the shop buying flowers him and calling him an idiot?
12. His father, the funeral, the service, his sermon on forgiveness and mercy, people shaking Liam’s and outside the church, Josie and her brother going out the back door? Josie having to forgive, a dilemma because her love for Liam and its continuing? The support of her brother? Her love for Billy?
13. Billy, assertive, her comments about life and characters, statistics about convertible car accidents, the meal, Liam and his awkwardness, the big bear, the necklace for Josie?
14. Matters improving, the happy meal, the choking incident, his being paralysed, the flashback to his behaviour at his mother’s death, Jake and others condemning him?
15. Liam returning to concerts, going to London, facing himself, the decision to go?
16. The music, Billy finding the guitar, his playing, her playing by looking at him and his fingering, his buying her the guitar?
17. Reconciliation, father and daughter playing on stage together? The marriage?
18. The kind of popular entertainment that the broad audience enjoys?
