The first days of fall quarter have concluded. Autumn air is flowing through our lungs as knowledge absorbed in classes infiltrates our minds. Syllabus week has a tendency to wash away the summer in one fell swoop and bring stress back into busy student lives in a manner that hasn’t been felt for months.
There is only one way to cure the brewing anxiety: Curl up with way too many blankets, grab a snack, and watch a great movie to end your week.
That movie is “Short Term 12,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, starring Brie Larson and John Gallagher, Jr. The film focuses on the lives of the staff and youth inhabiting a care facility for troubled teens, but the heart of the film is so much richer.
With a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the independent film centers on how to allow love and raw emotion into our lives. The film communicates what it means to live with complex struggles and disappointment in a simplistic way.
Despite the likelihood of shedding a few tears, this film is not deeply sad or mushy in any way. It is rather heartwarming and authentic, exhibiting insight on how to trade a terrible situation for a positive one.
As the quarter begins, “Short Term 12” is bound to remind you to take this attitude with you: Every tough situation is laced with fortune.
Reach writer Rebecca Gross at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
