Features: DVD, Behind the Scenes Footage
A coming-of-age drama, Our Song explores the struggles, ambitions and small triumphs of three teenage girls trying to fing their way in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.
"Two Thumbs up!" Ebert & Roeper and the Movies
"It's an astonishing movie, with real-life feel." Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Editor's Note
OUR SONG follows three very real high school girls over one summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Best friends and confidants, the girls--Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson)--have different family situations, different romantic interests, different moral codes, and their own unique dreams. Their differences add a searching, inquisitive element to their conversations, and ultimately make them closer. They are all dedicated members of the Jackie Robinson Steppers, a community marching band that holds daily rehearsals in a local parking lot. The girls talk about mastering the instruments they play and impressing the conductor. They also have jobs. Joycelyn works at a makeup boutique; Marie and Lanisha work at a bakery. Sometimes they talk about what they'll do after high school, but most of their conversations are about the difficult immediate issues that face them daily. Their school is not going to reopen in the fall due to an asbestos problem, and they each must figure out how to find a new school with a good reputation, enroll, and commute each day. Pregnancy and teen motherhood are serious considerations for the girls, as many of their friends have babies. A compassionate, honest portrait of adolescent life in Brooklyn, OUR SONG is inspirational in the way its characters take it as it comes, and keep hoping for the best. Director Jim McKay uses a verité filming style that, in combination with the excellent performances from the actresses, makes the film look and feel like a documentary.
Plot Summary
Jim McKay's OUR SONG, photographed in a pseudo-verite style, follows three teenage girls over the course of a long, hot summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson) are members of The Jackie Robinson Steppers Marching Band. When they find out that their high school is going to be closed due to asbestos problems, they must decide what they're going to do in the fall. As the summer vacation nears its end, the girls are confronted with a variety of personal dramas that confuse and challenge them, forcing them into early adulthood.In choosing to shoot OUR SONG like a documentary, McKay allows his story to unfold at a leisurely pace. This gives Washington, Martinez, and Simpson the opportunity to deliver naturalistic performances that gradually build in intensity until the film's dramatic climax. Combined with Jim Denault's immediate hand-held photography, the film provides a realistic glimpse into the lives of three young girls struggling to cope with the pressures of New York City. Like McKay's earlier GIRLS TOWN, OUR SONG is a sensitive portrait of female adolescence that entertains as it enlightens.
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