Our Song (film)

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Our Song
Directed by	Jim McKay
Starring	Kerry Washington Melissa Martinez Anna Simpson
Release date(s)	2000
IMDb profile

Our Song is a drama film released in 2000.

[edit] Plot

Our Song follows three very real high school girls over one summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The girls, Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria Melissa Martinez, and Joycelyn Anna Simpson are best friends and confidants. They have different family situations, different romantic interests, different moral codes and their own unique dreams.

The differences among the three add a searching, inquisitive element to their conversations, which 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 want to master the instruments they play in order to impress their conductor.

Joycelyn works at a makeup boutique, while both 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 because there is asbestos contamination, so they each challenged with finding a new school with a good reputation, enrolling, and planning the daily commute.

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 Cinéma vérité style which, in combination with the excellent performances from the actresses, makes the film look and feel like a documentary.

[edit] Critical Response

The film garnered positive reviews. Many of the critics praised director Jim McKay for the documentary-like shooting of the film and its amazing dialog. Roger Ebert has said that the film is "original and perceptive" and it doesn't force its characters into a tightly-plotted story.[1] The film got a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes [2].