Saturday, June 21, 2008

Go Ask Alice

Author(s): Ryan
Location: Boston, MA

"Go Ask Alice"

Directed by: Lukas Moodysson
Written by: Real Diary Anonymous
Adapted by: Catherine Hardwicke

Main Cast

Ellen Page as Alice
Catherine Keener as Mom
Sean Penn as Dad
Evan Rachel Wood as Chris
Emile Hirsch as Billy

Tagline: "Go ask Alice, when she was just small"

Synopsis: This is the True Diary of Alice, an average 15 year old girl in the 1960’s. She has trouble fitting in which causes low self esteem, and constant fighting with her parents. Because of her social troubles, she stays with her grandmother for the summer. There she meets a group of girls that invite her to a party, and at the party they decide to play “button, button.” This game is when everyone but one has acid in their coke, and the one that doesn’t baby sits the rest. Alice has a drink with acid and goes through an exciting and beautiful experience.

When Alice returns from her grandmothers she meets bad influences including a girl Chris, who is an ecstasy addict. She also meets Billy, a drug addict who takes advantage of her while she is high. Things start to spiral when Chris and she decide to run away to LA and work at a boutique. Alice hits her lowest when she starts prostituting for drugs, and decides to go back home.

During an acid trip, she goes mentally insane and thinks that there are maggots in her house that want to get inside her. She beats herself to get the “maggots” away, and pulls out her hair and scratches off her skin and finger nails. This has her end up in a mental institution. The drugs have made her develop schizophrenia, which makes her moods swing from normal to depression. When she gets home she quits drugs and becomes her old self, and is finally happy. But will she stay like this forever?

What the Press would say:

Go Ask Alice is a brilliantly adapted screenplay by Moodysson. He had the tough job of taking a real life diary collected into a book, and adapting it to a screenplay. The product is haunting. The title and tagline are smartly used from the song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. The anonymous character is nicknamed Alice due to the title. He is able to change it from any other drug addict movie. This true story is a prime example of the changes that happen after using drugs. It shows how a girl that is so regular can become literally mental. It really shows a new spin onto the drug-addict storyline. As “Alice” goes deeper and deeper into the ugly world of acid and drugs in the 70’s, the lighting gets darker until she hits her lowest low. Her low is easily the best scene of the film, due to Moodyssons’ extraordinary film making. “Alice” is in a man’s bed lying there as the cinematography is almost black and white. The narrative echo’s and has you feel the low with her, with a surreal atmosphere.

Though Alice meets a lot of people through her journey, there are a few impeticular that stand out. Wood gives her character sorrow and loneliness, but still gives Chris a tough exterior. Next is Billy played by Emile Hirsch. Hirsch is sensational playing the drugged out hippy, who wants to be a badass but is just a punk. One that really shines is Keener. Keener plays this role with intelligence and authority. Ellen Page plays Alice on so many levels. She plays Alice in the early stages of feeling awkward, over weight, and dying to fit in, than plays Alice when she falls into drugs, sex, and eventually schizophrenia. She really changes through this film, but maintains Alice’s innocence, and that is why I think she plays this role so tremendously.

Awards:

Best Picture
Best Picture Drama
Best Director- Lukas Moodysson.
Best Adapted Screenplay- Catherine Hardwicke
Best Actress-Ellen Page
Best Supporting Actress-Catherine Keener
Best Supporting Actress-Evan Rachel Wood
Best Supporting Actor-Emile Hirsch
Best Supporting Actor-Sean Penn
Best Cinematography

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