The Art of Conquering Demons With “The Glass Castle”
The memoir-turned-film provides an emotional story brought to life by the Short Term 12 duo
Last summer, I reviewed the 2013 film Short Term 12. The acclaimed indie film is nothing short of an amazing cinematic achievement. Starring Brie Larson and written/directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Short Term 12 provoked a strong emotional response with audiences (a major credit to Cretton) and showcased the fantastic acting ability of Larson.
When The Glass Castle was announced, I was thrilled to see Cretton and Larson back together to tell this incredible story. At first, early reviews scared me away. The film, according to multiple reviews, was average at best. I was disappointed. (In all honesty, the trailer was no help. Possessing a more mystic vibe, it did not have me jumping out of my seat to see the film.) Yet, my mind blocked all this negativity. Cretton won me over with Short Term 12, handling an incredibly tough story with care. I was sure he could do the same with The Glass Castle. Larson, an Oscar winner, convinced me time and time again her incredible talents on screen. But, is this film a letdown like most reviews described?
I beg to differ.
The Glass Castle is based on the 2005 memoir of the same name by Jeannette Walls. The memoir — and this film — unravels the story of Walls’ childhood and her transition into adulthood. Growing up, her parents were squatters. The family moved from town to town when things got rough, ultimately settling in the mountains of Welch, West Virginia. Nothing comes easy and life is harsh, but Walls and her siblings (two sisters and a brother) do their best to stay positive and make a better life for themselves — even if it is against the wishes of her father and mother.
Written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, The Glass Castle is his return to writing and directing a feature film. The cast — Brie Larson (Jeanette), Woody Harrelson (Rex Walls), Naomi Watts (Rose Walls) — is a dream team of acting talent. Having this array of talent makes Cretton’s job a lot easier, but the film has a few rough patches. Ultimately, The Glass Castle instills the importance of always bettering one’s self and those around you by remembering that having a strong family bond is an important part of life.
Before I sing the film’s praises, the negatives in The Glass Castle knock the film’s grade down a letter. The film’s story jumps between the “present day” (1989) and the various childhood memories of Jeannette and her family. For most of the film, this is a distracting way to showcase the story of the Walls family. Usually, the jumps do not relate from one scene to another, creating scenes that do not flow and offer different ideas. When handled correctly (toward the end of the film), this scene jumping technique can be effective. For most of the film, it only offers a distracting pace.
Sadly, the first half of the film is a frustrating watch. We spend too much time with little Jeannette, belittling the 1989 scenes. The film uses these “present day” scenes just enough to matter, but cutting away to the past right when audiences settles in. This may be a device Cretton uses to showcase that these kids’ lives were transported to different places to live at inopportune times, but, in a filmmaking sense, this way of cutting the film adds very little to the viewing experience.
A major problem with critics was the way the film did not consistently portray the tone in an effective way. There are examples — with the time jumping— where the tone shifts and does not mesh, but I did not see the mixing tones as a huge problem. Like all films, The Glass Castle consists of uplifting moments and heartbreaking moments. The way the film differs from these usual film tropes is having these moments that are so strong and memorable placed side by side — rather than having a few good moments strung together between one heartbreaking scene.
The Glass Castle is exhausting. One moment, the audience is transported to cloud 9 — for example, the Christmas dinner — then the next moment be taken to the lowest of lows — Rex, who got off drinking, goes back to drinking. The film is a textbook example of an emotionally rollercoaster. Tonally, the film’s second half is its strongest. Audiences see the connection and importance off all the mixing and matching of events from the film’s first half. The payoff packs an incredibly emotional punch.
The acting is brilliant. Larson is superb as the daughter who dreams big and sees the world different than her parents. She also possesses the same stubbornness as her father. As a child, Jeannette looks out for the best interests for the family. Her youthfulness and innocence believe her father’s words. Her parents’ repeated failures shape her into a jaded, stubborn adult. When we meet the adult Jeanette, she is sickened by her parents and wants nothing to do with them. Rex’s stubbornness, who wants no part in a clean-cut, stable life, is met with Jeanette’s — who wants no part of her childhood life. Who can blame her, right?
The beauty of Larson’s performance is the realization that having the nicer things in life does not equal having a strong relationship with her parents. (She does, however, get along with her siblings well). Larson understands the shifting mindset of Jeannette and handles this ongoing battle with skill and poise. In a scene where her dad and her fiancé arm wrestle, she is disgusted that her fiancé would even humor her father. Nonetheless, she is sucked into the event, yelling and screaming like everyone else who she wants to win. She fights acting like her family, but she can not hide her instincts. This is my favorite scene in the film: we know Jeanette cannot escape her family no matter how hard she tries. Whether she believes it or not, the audience knows she has to reconcile with them and accept where she came from. On top of all that, Larson, Harrelson and the rest act their butts off. This is an incredible engaging scene with high emotion; the performances exceed expectations.
The second best part of the film is the climax, where Jeanette finally accepts her family and background. Juxtaposed with a flashback of Rex telling her to confront her demons and do not run away from them, Jeanette leaves her privileged life and runs toward a demon she fought her entire adult life: her father. Unlike most the film, we see the power of jumping between two moments of Jeanette’s life. The flashbacks aid one another is solidifying Jeanette’s emotional transition from cold and angry to loving and emotional. Rex, who is dying, tells Jeanette all his life he was running from demons, yet the demons were inside him all along. This is huge for Jeanette to hear; finally her dad is admitting fault. Yet, this helps Jeanette to conquer her inner demons as well. This sequence of events is incredibly effective filmmaking, showcasing Cretton skill behind the camera and as a wordsmith.
The film’s most important lesson is how important it is to have a relationship with one’s family. There are extreme circumstances where families cannot co-exist, but shutting down from the people who fully understand you is a lonely life. Jeanette tries to repress these feelings, but, I think, ends up costing her complete happiness. She puts on a happy face when at work and with others, but the flashbacks represent the back of her mind: she cannot escape her family. They will always be there and fighting with them (mostly her parents) is tiring. Having the flashbacks — or a look at her life as kid — is needed to illustrate Jeanette’s mindset as an adult. And whether it is good or bad, her family is always on her mind.
The Glass Castle is messy. The construction of the film is not its strong suit, and their are rough moments. Larson’s performance is so good, I did not want to leave 1989. The flashbacks were one too many and lingered way past their initial point. But, they are necessary for the film to be effective. This film’s importance is showcasing that our past effects our present; our relationships with family and loved ones dictate how we act as humans in this world. All families have problems and kinks that need to be expressed and managed. However, overcoming these difficulties and realizing our “inner demons” go a long way to becoming a more happy, complete person.
