Amanda Stenberg Nick Robinson Anika Noni Rose Ana de la Reguera
The film is based on a young adult novel by
Nicola Yoon with a screenplay by J. Mills Goodloe, which, I gather, follows the
book very closely. After seeing it
and regarding it as a pie-in-the-sky story about teenagers (which resembles
more of a ten year-old’s fantasy to me), imagine my surprise to find the book
has been so well received (4½
stars on Amazon) and judged to be one of the best books of the year. It’s a completely fanciful tale about a
girl with SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease) who has essentially
lived in a bubble all her life.
Madeline’s mother, a physician, has constructed
a beautiful room for her with a scenic view outdoors, and she spends her time
reading, writing reviews, playing Scrabble with her mom, and exploring on the
internet. She has a nurse who is
like a friend—her only friend.
When a family moves in next door, Madeline (Stenberg) watches from her
window and notices a blonde boy her age.
This is Olly (Robinson), and they make eye contact, wave, and soon are
texting back and forth. He is
friendly and playful, and Maddy, as he calls her, is very excited about having
a friend her age to relate to.
Their friendship is facilitated by her nurse Carla (de la Reguera), but
when Maddy’s mother finds out (after some of Maddy’s risky behavior), Carla is
fired, and a regimented nurse takes her place. This is too much for Maddy, and she decides to take matters
into her own hands.
So much of this film strains credulity. For instance, no one wears a mask or
gown when they’re with Maddy, which I thought was always required for reverse
isolation, and which I presume is what Maddy’s room is. She tells us that items coming in are
irradiated to remove any contaminants, but the mother and nurse come and go
without seeming to change anything (oh, once we see Carla changing her
shoes).
But really, the most inauthentic part of the
film is the dialog between the two teenagers and the easy sociability of a girl
who has lived her whole life essentially alone. It’s hard to imagine how she could navigate the scenes she’s
in after such an existence.
Portraying Maddy, Amanda Stenberg (Hunger Games) brings her character to
life in a convincing performance that makes you believe in her and root for
her. Nick Robinson (The Kings of Summer, Jurassic World) as
a boy who is supposed to be a bit awkward and from a troubled family shows his
skill in his portrayal of the type of insecurity that comes from an abusive
father, and with protective feelings for those he feels responsible for. Supporting actors Anika Noni Rose and
Ana de la Reguera fill out the cast nicely.
Everything,
Everything is directed by three-time director Stella Meghie, and she should
be pleased with her work here. The
detraction of the film for me is the screenplay’s unrealistic presentation of
an illness and the portrayal of teenagers that lacks authenticity and
believability.
Everything,
Everything is too sweet and too “precious” to be what it wants
to be.
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