Review: Flipped

in

Flipped is Hollywood's latest attempt to mine the nostalgic gold found in coming-of-age stories set in the mythical golden age of the mid-20th century.

Adapted from Wendelin Van Draanen's "young readers" novel, Flipped is the story of Bryce, a boy who moves across the street from Juli, who seems to have an asphyxiating crush on the new kid in town. Over a five-year period the story flips between both points of view. A twist on "he said/she said" -- or in this case, "he thought/she thought" -- the plot unfolds as their relationship evolves and everything is seen from two skewed perspectives.

Flipped is as much a story of two very different families as it is about a boy and a girl. Despite living across the street from each other, the sensation of class divide is reinforced. Bryce's father clearly values appearances and the importance of reputation, while Juli's father is comfortably blue collar, with a hint of artist -- his landscapes sell well at the county fair according to rumor. As the two children reach pubescence the differences between their lifestyles comes to a head.

While Flipped tries to show that the late 50s/early 60s is not an idyllic paradise, it has the same glossy view as a "special episode" from a TV show. In fairness, the novel was written for the 10-14 year old age group, although those who were in that age group 40-50 years ago will love it more for its nostalgia-inducing fake tree limbs and pastoral views of nearby farms.

Older audience members will also appreciate some of the casting, with most of the adults in the cast born in the late 50s/early 60s (Rebecca De Mornay, Anthony Edwards, Penelope Ann Miller and Aidan Quinn) with perhaps an ability to draw on that supposed golden era of childhood. Madeline Carroll's Juli is animated even in her sulking, and almost overwhelming Callan McAuliffe's more subdued Bryce, but considering their characters, that works. With the exception of John Mahoney (Frasier) as Bryce's grandfather, every other cast member is merely filler for the coming-of-age love story.

Rob Reiner -- who's clearly in the age group most likely to appreciate this story through memories of that era, tries to recreate his success with his critical and popular hit Stand by Me. Stand by Me, along with When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride and This is Spinal Tap secured his career as a director, as four of his first five features helped define a decade. Unfortunately, Reiner's directorial efforts in the last two decades haven't come close to repeating the critical and box-office success of his earlier films, which he seems to hope to recreate with Flipped. Toying with the perspective and chronology, however, doesn't change the fact that there's really nothing new or refreshing on the screen.

Flipped is an artificially sweet dose of nostalgia that works best for those who adore coming-of-age love stories. Otherwise, it's just another contrived tale of boy meets girl and misconceptions.