Our Very Own (2005)

The opening shot of a dog riding atop the roof of a moving car -- a defining emblem of Shelbyville, TN -- may prepare viewers for another dose of the labored quirkiness that passes as indie hipsterism these days. But Our Very Own is more American Graffiti than Garden State, its eccentricities as small-scale as can be. In fact, Cameron Watson has made an almost squarely unhip film, full of earnest and life-sized characters. And it just so happens to be one of the most warmly nostalgic hidden treasures of 2005. Rarely has a film seemed so effortless at identifying the bread and butter of small-town teenage life, drawing up a world where everything feels like it will turn out okay, without that seeming like creative sugarcoating. Our Very Own doesn't shy away from the problems of folks carrying on the facade of normalcy after life has spun out of control; Keith Carradine's breadwinner (breadloser?) has truly been ravaged by life, and his boozing has no easy resolution. But since Our Very Own has its heart in the right place, the conflicts settle into place in a comfortable framework, with a tinge of optimism serving as a constant. Among the fresh-faced young actors, Autumn Reeser is most memorable as the kind of hopeful who really might trek across country, innocence intact, trying to make it as a star. Watson captures the feel of his town easily enough, shooting on the real location, but harnessing the era is another matter, accomplished using a dulled film stock that recalls techniques used in the 1970s. Plus, he's got a real sense of these people -- how they carry on humorously mundane conversations at the greasy spoon diner, and how they push each other in shopping carts as the main source of Friday-night entertainment. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide