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| Eliza Scanlen as JEM in THE STARLING GIRL |
Life in the Christian church has its plusses and minuses. Ask me about any church I've ever attended or any church community I've been apart of, and I can remember people and experiences fondly. I will regale you with stories of people I've loved, cried with, had breakthroughs with. After college, I moved away from home, and my church community has always been a second family for me as I've lived apart from my parents. But there are negative things to remember, too. Parts that make me cringe – enough that as an adult, I stepped away from church for a few years and wondered if I would ever find my way back again.
Watching THE STARLING GIRL, directed by Laurel Parmet, brings me back to that feeling of being a teenager and feeling both suffocated and sustained by the church you attend with our parents. The setting feels so authentic and true to form that it's almost painful to watch. Whatever Parmet intended in her making of this film, it takes the subject and people seriously.
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| Lewis Pullman as OWEN in THE STARLING GIRL |
Jem (Eliza Scanlen) loves dance troupe, her family, and tacos. And she truly wants to honor God with her dancing. The beginning scene shows her praying to the Lord that people would see God in her dancing, and not her. Her family seems proud, but the only feedback she receives from others is an admonition that her bra strap is visible through her clothing. This chastisement is not delivered kindly or with discretion. Instead, she is called to task in front of her parents and in view of everyone in the fellowship hall. As she escapes to weep outside, Owen (Lewis Pullman), witnesses her sadness. He's the pastor's son, newly returned from the mission field. The two begin a relationship based on secrets and a mutual desire to break free from their repressive community.
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| Jimmi Simpson as PAUL in THE STARLING GIRL |
Jem becomes infatuated with the older and married Owen and his rebellious nature. He seems like the only person who questions anything. Even though he's not healthy for Jem, he opens her eyes to the possibility of living outside this trap of a church that seems to denounce even the simplest pleasures like chewing gum or listening to music. He understands her love of dance and even encourages her to use her talent. But their secrecy inevitably leads to a dangerous place.
The church culture is not only hard on young women. A dual storyline shows Jem's father, Paul Starling (Jimmi Simpson) struggling to maintain the role he's expected to play of spiritual leader of the house. He may have joined the church to please wife Heidi (Wrenn Schmidt). You get the sense that she's the true leader and may push him to take on certain duties. Jem witnesses her father's unhappiness and, rightfully so, begins to question if this place is good for anyone. For if the love of God frees you, why is dad so unhappy?
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| Eliza Scanlen as JEM, Lewis Pullman as OWEN in THE STARLING GIRL |
Parmet arranges this story with a naturalism, building one scene upon each other. Each moment makes sense as to why it's happening, allowing us to find the dignity in Jem's story. We disagree with her decisions, but we understand her draw to Owen and her need to explore life outside the box. But it's not Owen she truly desires, and the movie seems to show that by the end. He's only a means to an end, a way of escape.
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| Eliza Scanlen as JEM in THE STARLING GIRL |
As creatures of God created in His image, we long to express ourselves creatively. And for Jem, dance is the primary mode of creation. She views dance as worship, yet those she has trusted all her life seem to view her body as evil, pitting spirit against flesh. When you tell a young person their body is evil, they will believe you. THE STARLING GIRL is a mesmerizing, cautionary tale showing the risk of motivating young people with shame. For a person of faith, it's also a reminder that life in Christ should harvest unspeakable joy. When you find yourself in spaces that only harvest shame and repression, it's time to find the exit.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1
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