The Man in the Moon (1991)

	Directed by: Robert Mulligan	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE Det hendte en sommer RUNNING TIME 99 minutes
	Produced by: Mark Rydell
	Written by: Jenny Wingfield

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Matthew Trant	Sam Waterston	½
Abigail Trant	Tess Harper
Marie Foster	Gail Strickland	½
Danielle Trant	Reese Witherspoon
Court Foster	Jason London
Maureen Trant	Emily Warfield
Billy Sanders	Bentley Mitchum

Review

Every once in a while, a film comes along with so much raw talent and youthful emotion that it can knock you off your seat and tap into a well of sensations. In European cinema we have seen recent examples such as Jan Sverak's Kolya, Bo Widerberg's Lust och fägring stor, and Lukas Moodyson's Fucking Åmål, to name a few. Remarkably, two such special films both appeared in the United States in 1991: one was Mary Agnes Donoghue's Paradise, the other was this unique drama from Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird).

Mulligan was known for getting sincere, intriguing performances from his actors. In The Man in the Moon, he had the privilege of working with the young Reese Witherspoon, who sets her scenes alight with her wonderfully expressive appearance and natural grace. It's one of the best debut performances ever, functioning as the foundation for this honest and evocative, yet thoroughly level-headed film. The writing, by Jenny Wingfield, harbours a lot of insight about adolescence in general and growing up in the 1950s in particular. The latter is also reflected in the supporting performances, not least Sam Waterston's strict but loving father, and Gail Strickland's diligent single mother.

The Man in the Moon is an inherently romantic film, but it doesn't dwell or become bumptious about it. Instead, it remains poetic, simple and delicate, appreciating the bittersweet nature of life as most of us know it. If you can resist this little gem, you must have a callous heart.