Movie Review

Before her big break on Fox’s The O.C., Mischa Barton was a 15 year old newcomer actress who starred in 2001’s Lost and Delirious alongside Coyote Ugly star Piper Perabo. The movie depicted everyday life at an all girls boarding school. Full of emotion, this movie became a favorite of mine because of the storyline and the depth of the characters. A well cast movie where the young actresses brilliantly move you, so you can almost feel the pain they were in. This film about friendship, courage, passion, and love is directed by Lea Pool.

At the beginning of the movie audiences are introduced to Mary (Mischa Barton) who is moving to and attending an all girls boarding school where she discovers her two roommates Victoria aka Tori (Jessica Pare) and Paulie (Piper Perabo) are secret lovers. Mary is okay with the relationship even if Tori and Paulie doesn’t exactly tell her what’s going on. But even in times she thought she was a “ third wheel “ she enjoys their company and watches as their relationship falls apart when Tori can’t stand the peer pressure of being gay any longer. Not when it meant sacrificing everything she ever loved and needed.

Paulie is a character who is passionate about life. She grew up with no parents and never been loved until Tori loved her the way she always wanted, the way she’d always dreamed of. Paulie deeply loved Tori but maybe she loved her a bit too desperately and violently. We watch Paulie begin to self-destruct when the one person who loves her begins to reject her. Tori on the other hand, grew up with parents who wanted nothing but great things for her. Her parents are extremely religious and have her life set up for her. Tori tries to live up to their expectations and would never want to disappoint them especially if it meant losing them and being disowned. Lastly, the third main character is Mary is the newcomer to the school. She is hostile, and seem to be shy, but upon meeting Tori and Paulie she discovers what friendship means and begins to be more open to herself and others around her.

QuoteвЂ"

Paulie (to Mary)- “ You think I’m a lesbian?”

Mary- “ You’re a girl in love with another girl, aren’t you?”

Paulie- “ No, I’m Paulie in love with Tori, remember? And Tori is- she is in love with me, because she is mine and I am hers. And neither of us are lesbians.”

Their sexual identity is a big issue in this film but Paulie doesn’t see herself a lesbian but just states the fact that she’s just in love. And love knows no gender. She doesn’t care about sexuality and half way through the movie she gives an amazing speech where she states “ love just is “. Tori is denying her identity for the sake of what her parents want her to be in life, so she easily gives up on her love for Paulie and does everything she can to push her away, trying to show that she is heterosexual. She even goes out with a boy from a nearby school. Yet previously Tori had told Mary that hurting Paulie was the last thing she wanted to do; she loved her and she was the only person she would ever love. That hurting her felt like she couldn’t breathe. Then that means Tori is out of breath yet she’s still breathing. She doesn’t realize that denying her feelings for Paulie was hurting her more and more each time. The fact that she gave up so easily would make her seem like a coward. I honestly had assumed she was a coward as well. She’s a girl who wants nothing more than to make her parents proud of her even if she is miserable. She’s a girl who doesn’t want to be shut out from the world if she came out as a lesbian.