I had wanted to see "Flipped" at the advance screening back in August or so, but it was too far for me to drive. It was then announced that although the release date for some cities (mostly major ones, like NYC, LA, etc.) would be August 27th, "Flipped" had no release date yet for Michigan - rather ironic, since much of it, if not all, was filmed in Ann Arbor, and many area residents had lent the use of their classic cars for the movie. Finally this weekend, however, "Flipped" was released in Michigan, and although it did not fully live up to my expectations, I am glad I saw it.
When Bryce (newcomer Callan McAuliffe) moves to a new neighborhood as a young boy, he is promptly greeted by Juli (Madeline Carroll, "The Spy Next Door"), who immediately wants to become friends with him. He is of the age where boys are made fun of for hanging out with girls, however, and so he does his best to avoid her. This goes on until about the 7th or 8th grade, when, due to a series of events, Juli decides she no longer likes Bryce. The problem is that he now likes her - he's "flipped," so a friend of his says.
The supporting actors in this movie were decent as well. Aidan Quinn ("Jonah Hex") and Penelope Ann Miller (TV's "Men of a Certain Age") play Juli's parents, and Rebecca de Mornay (TV's "John from Cincinnati") and Anthony Edwards (TV's "ER") play the parents of Bryce. In addition, John Mahoney (TV's "In Treatment") plays Chet, Bryce's grandfather, who takes a liking to Juli.
Maybe see this film. I thought it was a sweet film, and, as far as I can remember, stays very true to its source material (the novel of the same name, by Wendelin Van Draanen, which I now want to reread), but to me it seemed to lag at parts. The cast is stellar so it's not them which was lacking; perhaps time just seemed to move slower in the 1960s? Whatever the reason, the film was decent, which is why it doesn't deserve a "No" review, but at the same time, it doesn't deserve a resounding "Yes," in my opinion.
"Flipped" is now playing in theaters.
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Liz Parker is a 2009 graduate of the University of Michigan. She currently works as an Assistant Medical Editor for a pathology website. Visit her at her movie blog Yes/No Films