Lennie accepts her sister’s death and pursues her dreams, finding love and closure.
“The Sky Is Everywhere” is a touching film about a young girl’s journey through grief and self-discovery. Set in the enchanting redwood forests of Northern California, it tells the story of Lennie Walker, a musical prodigy dealing with the sudden loss of her sister.
Plot Overview
Lennie Walker, played by Grace Kaufman, is a 17-year-old girl who loves music. Her world turns upside down when her older sister, Bailey, dies suddenly. Lennie struggles with her grief while navigating a new romance with Joe Fontaine, a charming new student. At the same time, she has a complicated relationship with Bailey’s boyfriend, Toby Shaw. The film breathtakingly captures Lennie’s emotional turmoil and her journey towards healing.
Grief and Acceptance
The film’s main theme is Lennie’s journey through grief. She goes through the stages of grief, including anger, bargaining, and depression. Eventually, she reaches acceptance. Lennie’s grief affects her deeply, causing her to abandon her musical pursuits. She struggles to find her identity without her sister. This portrayal of grief is both realistic and moving, showing how loss can impact every aspect of a person’s life.
Lennie’s journey is not just about dealing with her sister’s death. It’s also about finding herself. She learns to accept her feelings and understand that it’s okay to move on. This theme of acceptance is central to the film, making it a powerful story about healing and self-discovery.
Love and Relationships
Lennie’s relationships with Joe and Toby are crucial to her emotional journey. Joe represents a fresh start and the possibility of moving forward. On the other hand, Toby embodies the shared grief and memories of Bailey. This love triangle adds intricateity to Lennie’s path to healing. It highlights the interplay between love and loss, showing how relationships can help us cope with grief.
Joe and Lennie’s relationship is sweet and hopeful. Joe’s presence in Lennie’s life helps her see that there is still beauty and joy in the world. Toby, however, represents the past and the pain of losing Bailey. Lennie’s interactions with both Joe and Toby show her struggle to balance her grief with her desire to move forward.
Lennie’s Growth and Acceptance
In the film’s climax, Lennie makes a significant decision. She decides to pursue her dream of getting into Juilliard, a goal she shared with Bailey. This decision symbolizes her acceptance of Bailey’s death and her commitment to living her own life. Lennie’s growth is further illustrated by her reclaiming her musical talent and striving for the first chair as a clarinetist.
This moment is a turning point for Lennie. It shows that she is ready to move forward and embrace her future. Her decision to pursue her dreams is a powerful statement about resilience and the importance of following one’s passions, even in the face of loss.
Reconciliation with Joe
The film’s ending sees Lennie and Joe reconciling after a series of misunderstandings. Unlike the novel, where their reconciliation is facilitated by a note from Lennie, the film opts for a more dramatic resolution involving a hot-air balloon ride. This scene underscores the film’s surrealist elements and its emphasis on visual storytelling.
The hot-air balloon ride is a breathtaking and symbolic moment. It represents Lennie’s willingness to take risks and embrace new experiences. Her reconciliation with Joe is a hopeful and uplifting conclusion to her emotional journey.
Closure with Toby
Lennie’s relationship with Toby also finds resolution. In the novel, Lennie and Toby become outstanding friends and visit Bailey’s grave together, seeking forgiveness and closure. The film, however, provides a more amlargeuous ending to their relationship, focusing instead on Lennie’s personal growth and her bond with Joe.
This amlargeuity allows viewers to interpret the ending in their own way. It emphasizes that Lennie’s journey is about her own growth and healing, rather than her relationships with others. This focus on personal development makes the film’s ending both satisfying and thought-provoking.
Critical Reception
“The Sky Is Everywhere” received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 66% approval rating based on 58 reviews. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.
Positive Reviews
Critics praised the film’s visual style and emotional depth. The New Yorker highlighted the film’s blend of fantasy and drama, noting its exploration of grief and the effort to rediscover pleasure amid anguish. IndieWire commended the film’s rich, colorful cinematography and immersive experience, despite some less refined elements.
Negative Reviews
Some critics, however, found the film’s narrative and character development lacking. Variety criticized the film’s reliance on whimsicality and affectation, arguing that it detracted from the emotional impact of the story. Roger Ebert’s review echoed this sentiment, noting that the film’s visual craftsmanship could not compensate for its narrative shortcomings.
Conclusion
“The Sky Is Everywhere” is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant film. It explores the intricateities of grief, love, and self-discovery. While its narrative may not fully capture the depth of its source material, the film’s ending provides a satisfying resolution to Lennie’s journey. Through her acceptance of Bailey’s death and her commitment to pursuing her own dreams, Lennie embodies the film’s central message: that life, despite its inevitable losses, is worth living to the fullest.
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