TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN

US, 2024, 111 minutes, Colour.

Isabela Merced, Cree, Judy Reyes, Felix Mallard, Miles Ekkhardt, J.Smith-Cameron, Pooirna Jagannathan.

Directed by Hannah Marks.

Older reviewers need to hold back! This is a film version of a is to Adult (very young) by prolific author, John Green, versions of his novels include The Fall to stars, Paper Town, Looking in Alaska, Let it Snow.. Green, along with his brother, has been a long term Vlogger, using You Tube for video blogs, more than 1 million followers. Presumably, the older reviewers are not part of this region of followers.

This film has been very well received by its target audience, praise for the film keeping close to the novel, focus on characters and their issues. The depiction of the characters, their language, behaviour, is very much that of senior teenagers at school, and here the focus on girls..

For those who are wondering about the title, googling offers an answer: The saying holds that the world is supported by an infinite stack of increasingly larger turtles. Turtles all the way down" is an expression of the problem of infinite regress. The saying alludes to the mythological idea of a World Turtle that supports a flat Earth on its back. It suggests that this turtle rests on the back of an even larger turtle, which itself is part of a column of increasingly larger turtles that continues indefinitely.

This comes up because the central character, Aza, is OCD (channelling the author’s past experiences), beset by self-consciousness about bacteria, infections, what is happening to her inner self, able to communicate with others but always preoccupied, helped by her mother, visiting a therapist, getting some encouragement when she attends a lecture in Chicago by an author she has been following and the two have an encouraging conversation.

But, ordinarily, Aza is at home and at school, always with her best friend, Daisy – a lively screen presence by actress, Cree. There is something of a plot when a local millionaire disappears and a reward is offered, Daisy eager to get the money, urging Aza to investigate because she has known and likes the son of the man who has disappeared.

Sounds like a murder mystery but it is merely an occasion to get to know Aza and Daisy better, for her to get to know the son, Davis (Australian actor Felix Mallard) who in a generous gesture uses the family plane to whisk Aza to that lecture in Chicago as a gift.

So, for the target audiences, no need of a review, just shared texts and blogs between themselves. For parent and grandparent generations, for older reviewers, an invitation to sit back – and show empathy and learn.

1. The title and its meaning? As discussed by the professor, as understood by Aza?
2. The popularity of John Green’s Young Adult fiction, wide range of readers, the various film versions and their impact?
3. The target audience, the younger Young Adult readership? Teenagers? At school? Young adults reflecting on their own team experiences? Older audiences having to adapt to the Young Adult mentality and concerns?
4. The story of Aza, her relationship with her mother, absent father, her voice-over and commentary? The introduction of the OCD themes? The author and his own experiences? Her understanding herself, the infections, her fears, bacteria, her liking herself to the layers of the Russian dolls? Her preoccupations, her fears and the manifestations?
5. Her mother, and soon, care, interactions?
6. Our friendship with Daisy, best friends, for a long time, the contrasting personalities? Audience response to Daisy, her vitality, extroversion, her talk, concerns, her support of His? Her relationships, eyes of the boys? The comedy and the realities of her buying the car? At school, the issue of the missing billionaire, the story, her wanting clues, to earn the reward money?
7. Persuading Aza to go onto the property? Looking for clues? The discovery of the coat? Aza and her knowing Davis from the past, meeting him, the presence of his younger brother, Noah, friendship, the bonding? Her revelation about her condition?
8. Davis, sympathetic, the missing father, the accusations? Is attitude towards his father, his younger brother? The bonding with Aza? Understanding her? The gift of the flight to Chicago, the lecture, Aza responding, her admiration for the lecture, her sitting on the garden seat, Davis encouraging her to talk, shared ideas?
9. Aza, the need for therapy, the sessions with the therapist and her explanations of herself?
10. The break with Daisy, Daisy hurt, but the coming together, bonding again?
11. The future, the discovery of the missing man, the impact from his family, then moving? Leaving Aza, with her mother, with Daisy, some sense of accomplishment, to overcome her OCD, her future?