Getting to Know You

Sixteen-year-old Judith and her brother Wesley are at a bus depot somewhere in eastern USA. While waiting to depart, the two siblings re-experience memories of overwhelming events in the recent past. When Jimmy, a boy of their age, starts telling stories to Judith about the people at the depot, the lives of the three teenagers are momentarily interwoven with the adventures of the strangers. It was some of the tales in the collection of short stories Heat by Joyce Carol Oates that initially inspired Lisanne Skyler and her sister to write the screenplay for Getting to Know You. The film presents some imaginary tales about personal destinies in short and intimate sequences. Jimmy turns out to be brilliant storyteller, whose amazing curiosity and limitless fantasy helps him describe strangers in great detail. His trustworthy tales also help Judith to sort out her own complex relations to her family, and finally his part as a narrator is taken over by her. The difference is that she is telling the truth. When Jimmy overcomes the insecurity of revealing his inner self, his own mysterious life is explained and told, and the two young characters find themselves and each other. In these scenes Heather Matarazzo continues to build on her character from Tod Solondz' Welcome to the Dollhouse. Skyler's debut can be likened to a mental road-movie. And despite its different characters, Getting to Know You still provides a humble reminder that we share more qualities than we have characteristics separating us.

Premiärstatus
Skandinavisk premiär: Medverkande
Mark Blum, Zach Braff, Leo Burmeister, Bo Hopkins: Producent
George Lavoo, Laura Gabber: Manus
Joyce Carol Oates, Lisanne Skyler, Tristine Skyler: Foto
Jim Denault: Musik
Michael Brook: Talat språk
English