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Cute and Eccentric Is Not Enough
Don't let the DVD cover fool you. "The New Waterford Girl"
is not about falling in love. This coming of age story is about
escape: Smart young Mooey Pottie, (note to filmmakers: give your
lead a better name than that) wants to flee from her small, sheltered
Catholic community. She find some relief in her one outsider friend,
a tough talking blond (Tata Spencer-Nair) who hits people for fun.
Coming of age stories make for the best films ("Rushmore"
and "Ruby in Paradise" for example), and the same is true
for female friendship ("Ghost World," "The Dreamlife
of Angels"). But director Alan Moyle doesn't work with the
strengths of his story and goes for the cheap laughs instead. For
one thing, why must the general folk in small coastal towns always
be portrayed as cute, harmless buffoons? Liane Balaban turns in
a terrific performance as Mooney Pottie -- or maybe she simply looks
great with her big eyes, awkward hair cut, and those long skirts
and big sweaters. The pleasure of looking at Liane, however, does
not make for a rounded film.
On a side note, if you ever wanted to know about
what happened to brat packer Andrew McCarthy, here's your chance.
He turns in a small role as Mooney's besotted teacher.
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