Movie Review: Kelly & Cal

Kelly & Cal

Release Date: September 12th 2014 – Alamo Drafthouse Vintage park, Houston
Studio: IFC Films, Spring Pictures, Mad Dog Pictures
Director: Jen McGowan
Writers: Amy Lowe Starbin
Main Cast: Juliette Lewis, Jonny Weston, Josh Hopkins, Cybill Shepherd, Lucy Owen, Alysia Reiner
Genres: Comedy | Drama | Family
MPAA Rating: N/A (I recommend for 16 years and older due to content)

Official Sites: IMDb | Facebook | Website

Storyline: Kelly, a punk-rocker turned suburban mom, is nostalgic for a life she can no longer have and uncertain of a future she doesn’t yet fit in. Seventeen-year-old Cal is frustrated at his lack of control over the hand he’s been dealt. When the two strike up an unlikely friendship, it’s the perfect spark needed to thrust them both back to life.

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When I heard about ‘Kelly & Cal’, I was not very familiarized with the film. So when I looked into the film, I saw that the lead male actor is “Edgar” in next year’s ‘Insurgent’, the sequel to the blockbuster ‘Divergent’. So I knew I wanted to watch this film to witness how Jonny Weston acts. I was not disappointed at all, you really do believe he is handicap and not just playing a part in a movie. I was impressed with Watson acting which took the spotlight over veteran actress Juliette Lewis. Regardless of him standing out, these two actors really had great chemistry in the film.

‘Kelly & Cal’ is a story that follows housewife Kelly that lives in the suburbs and has just had a baby. Kelly who is portrayed by Juliette Lewis, just doesn’t fit in, she tries to meet other moms in her area but that doesn’t pan out as she hoped. It’s like she is an outcast. Kelly ends up meeting Cal, who is portrayed by Jonny Weston, while she hides outside her house to sneak a cigarette. After failing miserably at making new friends, she ends up hanging out with Cal after she feels guilt treating him badly when she realizes he is handicap.

This begins a strange and awkward friendship between the housewife and handicap teenager in high school because they both are struggling with similar demons and it connects them. Kelly is depressed with her life, she misses her past life when she was part of a punk-rock band and not sleep deprived and Cal is depressed because of being abandon after his accident that left him paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair without his girlfriend. They both have lost parts of their lives they miss greatly. But they are not looking for the same things in their unconventional friendship, Cal begins to fall for Kelly and Kelly enjoying the attention from Cal, begins to drop down walls that she shouldn’t have dropped since Cal is a teenager. This will lead to consequences, which either together they both will fall or rise above and begin to live life again.

I can see why this film won at the SXSW film festival, it really surprised me how great it was. I was highly entertain watching the film. You can see the film via iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play and other similar outlets.