Spork

Out of the chaos of her messy trailer park bedroom emerges Spork, a frizzy-haired, pink-cheeked junior-high outcast, teased by peers and adults alike. Her only friends are Tootsie Roll and a long-dead dog. When Chunk, an intersexual peer, gives Spork advice: When something bad’s happening, think about some nice shit, it proves to be a watershed in her self-confidence, leading to a friendship with Charlie, a diehard Justin Timberlake fan.

Spork serves up everything we love from the 1980s – frizzy hair, loud colors, fashion, and tacky music, but manages to avoid being a trite cinematic bauble. Instead, it is a coming-of-age story, a tale of acceptance and friendship tinged with ironic criticism of American society that mocks pervasive racism, idiocy, homophobia, and religious fixation. The characters’ sexual ambivalence is also interesting, with blurry gender lines and no clear answers. Though Spork might be accused of excessive psychological naiveté, it maintains its charm right through the final credits. With references to Wizard of Oz, the film offers a captivating variation on the story of outsiders trying to gain self-confidence and find their place in the world.

Samuel Nowak