‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ Film Review: Eliza Hittman’s Powerful Teen Abortion Drama Explores Access and Friendship
A young girl’s trip to New York with her best friend to terminate a pregnancy is told with sensitivity and urgency
Robert Abele | April 3, 2020 @ 9:30 AM
Last Updated: April 3, 2020 @ 9:43 AM
Focus Features
Few indie directors today navigate private spaces and fraught environments as effectively as Eliza Hittman, whose first two features “It Felt Like Love” and “Beach Rats” heralded a singular chronicler of young people in the thick of complicated desire.
With “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” which premiered at Sundance and received an early VOD release on Friday after its theatrical release was truncated by the coronavirus, Hittman looks at one of the consequences of desire, as specifically experienced by the half that can get pregnant. In relaying a pair of teenage cousins’ tense overnight journey across the state line, Hittman wades into one of the more charged subjects of our time — abortion access — with the kind of sensitivity, focus and detail that will ensure its place as a dramatic standard for how to put a human face on a controversial topic.
Despite a tone that avoids explicit politics, there’s absolutely no question where Hittman’s sympathies lie as she unfolds her near-procedural story of the events surrounding a momentous decision made decisively. And yet it’s in the obstacle-laden path of her central character (who can know, who will help, how she’ll get it, what it takes) that the film gathers in force to become a quietly urgent portrait of womanhood as a still-and-ever social-legal minefield of expectations, strictures and imperiled agency.
The title itself — referencing the choices offered high schooler Autumn (newcomer Sidney Flanigan) on a medical form about her sexual history — speaks both to the aura of assessment and limitation women can be made to feel even in what should be the safest of spaces and to the temporality inherent in any story whose subject reflects on the plight of women to control their own destiny.
Arriving the year after we lost Agnès Varda, Hittman’s film feels like an essential continuation of that masterful French filmmaker’s legacy of stories about women making their way through life’s gauntlets. And considering the fact that Hittman’s returning “Beach Rats” cinematographer Hélène Louvart once worked with Varda (on “The Beaches of Agnès”), that connection across the span of female-made art feels even more apt.
When we first see 17-year-old Autumn, she’s in a talent show ironically singing a folk rendition of the ’60s girl-group lament “He’s Got The Power.” The subtext is apparent later at a pizza parlor, sitting with her clueless mom (Sharon Van Etten, “The OA”) and brittle stepfather (Ryan Eggold, “New Amsterdam”) — they see Autumn as just a scowling pill — when she bolts from the table and throws water in the face of a taunting teenage boy.
The next day, after looking at her stomach in the mirror, she ventures to a local “women’s clinic” in her rural Pennsylvania town only to find drugstore pregnancy kits, scant medical advice, and a suspiciously positive grandma vibe that emphasizes motherhood or adoption. When the reality of Autumn’s tight-lipped distress becomes apparent to best bud, cousin and co-worker Skylar (Talia Ryder) at their cashier’s job, Skylar takes charge, arranging a secret one-day bus trip to a Brooklyn Planned Parenthood, accompanying her for support.
In New York, they encounter further roadblocks and detours, none of which suggest, thankfully, any unnecessary plot engineering on Hittman’s part. Between the pair’s struggles with funds, new knowledge, irritation and navigating an unfamiliar city — is the handsome young stranger (Théodore Pellerin, “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”) who chats the girls up a nuisance or a possible ally? — the vibe is authentically taut and naturalistic about the obstacles facing women in Autumn’s situation.
It’s also telling that we don’t even learn Autumn’s and Skylar’s names until well into the movie; Hittman’s sense of exposition has always been loose and oblique, but it’s in the service of revealing her characters through an internal weather system that emerges in behavior, words, and her actors’ expressions. The detail of a look or gesture of individuality — the excellent Ryder’s watchful eyes and steadfast actions, for example, playing a best friend — point us to who she is more than keeping track of her name. It’s almost a form of authorial protectiveness, a way for Hittman to point us to what matters: the humanity in her characters.
And Flanigan’s face as an emotional bellwether is a powerful one, never more so than in the pivotal scene when she answers a compassionate clinic worker’s difficult queries about her past, and her sense of security. As the camera stays on Autumn, the formality of real help in a safe environment starts to allow a small measure of painfully reflective release in her typically stoic features. It’s a quietly devastating scene, the poignant center of Flanigan’s magnetic turn, but also one that illuminates the other key theme to Hittman’s movie: the solidarity, whether prompted by a concerned woman’s questions or a best friend’s unspoken companionship, that makes the hardest of journeys doable.
It finds its most poetic expression in twin shots, scenes apart, of Autumn and Skylar holding hands, each scenario spurred by one reaching for the other as if to say “You’re not alone.” That connection is also one of the wonders of the movies, and why “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and its portrait of a timeless female fortitude stands as an especially potent and timely act of artistic storytelling empathy.
From 'Sixteen Candles' to 'Eighth Grade': 17 Cringeworthy Moments From Coming-of-Age Movies (Photos)
Bo Burnham's debut film "Eighth Grade" is getting praise for its realistic and touching portrayal of growing up today. It builds on a long line of movies that deal with the awkwardness of coming of age. Here are 17 of them.
Universal Pictures / 20th Century Fox / A24
The Graduate (1967)
In this classic from director Mike Nichols, Benjamin Braddock (breakout star Dustin Hoffman) has a lot of cringeworthy moments with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), including one where he utters the famous line: "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?"
Embassy Pictures
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
This raunchy comedy took on teenage sexuality and a whole lot more. In one cringeworthy scene, Mike Damone (Robert Romanus) offers Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) a five-point plan for getting with a girl. The plan goes as follows: (1) "You never let on how much you like a girl," (2) "you always call the shots," (3) "act like wherever you are, that's the place to be," (4) "whenever you order something, find out what she wants and order it for both of you," and (5) "when it comes down to making out, whenever possible, put on Side 1 of Led Zeppelin 4."
Universal Pictures
Sixteen Candles (1984)
In the earliest of John Hughes' iconic teen movies, Samantha (Molly Ringwald) pines after older boy Jake (Michael Schoeffling) and avoids nerdy Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), while her sixteenth birthday gets overshadowed by her older sister's upcoming marriage. In one cringeworthy scene, Ted accosts Samantha on the dance floor and starts dancing in front of her. Samantha runs away to cry, and he's left awkwardly dancing by himself.
Universal Pictures
The Breakfast Club (1985)
This story of kids from different cliques coming together for detention is widely recognized as one of the greatest high school movies of all time. You can't help but squirm when Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) decides to create the appearance of "snow" on her drawing by scratching her hair to shake off some dandruff.
Universal Pictures
Weird Science (1985)
In this science-fiction comedy from John Hughes, social outcasts Gary and Wyatt (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) use a computer program to bring a woman to life. In one especially cringeworthy scene, Gary and Wyatt take a shower with their creation -- together --and can't even form a sentence because they're too busy staring at her naked body.
Universal Pictures
Pretty in Pink (1986)
This John Hughes film focuses on Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) and her relationship with a much more popular Blane (Andrew McCarthy). In one particularly cringeworthy scene, her awkward friend Duckie starts talking to himself as he considers divulging his true love to Andie.
Stand by Me (1986)
This Rob Reiner adaptation of a Stephen King story tells the story of four boys from a small town in Oregon who go on a hike to find the missing body of a child. It's hard not to cringe (and feel a little faint) when the boys get bitten by leeches after they take a dip in a forest pool. Especially when Gordie (Wil Wheaton) faints after pulling a leech from his crotch.
Columbia Pictures
Say Anything (1989)
In Cameron Crowe's directorial debut, kickboxer Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) falls in love with valedictorian Diane Court (Ione Skye). In one cringeworthy scene toward the end of the movie, Diane goes to Lloyd's gym to reconcile with him and declare her true feelings. They eventually make up and kiss -- even though Lloyd has been punched in the face during training and has a very bloody nose the entire time. (Ew.)
20th Century Fox
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
In this popular romantic comedy-drama, director Gil Junger retold Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" in a high school. In one moment at the end that's both cute and a little cringeworthy, Kat (Julia Stiles) makes a very awkward public declaration while reading a poem called, you guessed it, "10 Things I Hate About You."
Buena Vista Pictures
American Pie (1999)
In this teen comedy from Adam Herz, a group of teenage boys compete to lose their virginity during their senior year of high school. There are two especially cringeworthy moments involving a webcam.
Universal Pictures
Mean Girls (2004)
Cady Harrington (Lindsay Lohan) suffers numerous cringeworthy moments in her quest for popularity and the love of Aaron Rogers. Two stick out: When Cady falls into a garbage can (oops), and when she gets drunk and tells Aaron she only pretended to be bad at math so they could become friends -- then pukes on his shoes.
Paramount Pictures
Juno (2007)
Jason Reitman's comedy stars Ellen Page as an independent, snarky teenager named Juno who winds up getting pregnant by her friend Paulie (Michael Cera). Both characters are very awkward -- in a loveable way -- but one scene that sticks out is their confrontation in the hallway at their school. Juno asks Paulie if he's going to prom with a certain "stink-eyed" girl, and Paulie admits that he has asked her. The scene ends with Juno lashing out at Paulie and saying that she only hooked up with him because she was bored. Things get worse from there.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Superbad (2007)
This teen comedy stars Michael Cera and Jonah Hill as awkward high school seniors trying to lose their virginity, and it's pretty cringeworthy from beginning to end. Here's one scene that's sure to make you wince: Seth (Hill) comes back from dancing with a girl, only to have his friends point out that there's blood on his leg -- most likely because the girl was on her time of the month.
Columbia Pictures
Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Charlie (Logan Lerman) may be a wallflower, but he still gets himself into some awkward situations -- such as the entirety of his relationship with Mary Elizabeth (Mae Whitman).
Summit Entertainment
Lady Bird (2017)
In Greta Gerwig's lauded directorial debut, the self-named Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) has one of her most cringeworthy moments at the end of the movie. She's finally made it to college in New York City, and what's one of the first thing she does in the Big Apple? At a party, she meets a guy and starts hooking up with him, only to puke and end up at the hospital for drinking too much. Let's hope Marion, aka Mom, never finds out about that one.
A24
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
This romantic drama from Luca Guadagnino hit theaters last year to instant critical acclaim, earning Academy Award nomations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor. The film chronicles the romantic relationship between 17-year old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and his father's graduate-student assistant Oliver (Armie Hammer). The film is filled with cringeworthy moments, including one with a peach that we can't discuss here, but here's another: As the film progresses, Elio (Chalamet) abandons his sort-of girlfriend, Marzia, for Oliver. Eventually she comes to the house to confront him, and finally asks, "Am I your girl?" -- only to be met with silence.
Sony Pictures Classics
Eighth Grade (2018)
In his directorial debut, Bo Burnham brings the coming-of-age story to 2018, with an honest and funny depiction of an awkward 14-year old girl named Kayla (Elsie Fisher) as she navigates her last week of eighth grade. Truth be told, the entire film is pretty cringeworthy. But in one scene, Kayla is about to practice a sex move on a banana in the kitchen, when in walks her dad. "I thought you didn't like bananas?" he says. The awkward conversation that follows is both hilarious and, for some, only watchable through gaps between their fingers.
A24
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Bo Burnham’s film inspired us to look back
Bo Burnham's debut film "Eighth Grade" is getting praise for its realistic and touching portrayal of growing up today. It builds on a long line of movies that deal with the awkwardness of coming of age. Here are 17 of them.