“Off and Running”
(First Run Features)
Subtitled “An American Coming of Age Story,” Nicole Opper’s documentary provides a unique LGBT twist to the-coming-of-age genre.
The film begins with teenager Avery writing a letter to her birth mother. Raised in a Jewish household by adoptive lesbian mothers Travis and Tova, alongside brother Rafi (and later Samuel Isaiah AKA Zay-zay), Avery’s interest in her birth heritage arose from attending Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, which has a large African-American student population. A good student and a rising track and field star, it took Avery five years to finally write to her birth mother. She was held back by fear of rejection.
After a few months, Avery receives a response from her mother. It is warm and friendly, but distant. In it, Kay answers some of Avery’s questions. But Avery’s experience is different than that of her best friend Jenna (who met her birth mother) and her brother Rafi (who chose not to meet his birth mother, but made a connection with his blood brother and sister).
“The Tillman Story”
“Sex and the City 2”
“The Runaways”
“Fish Tank”
“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”
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