Monday's Movie-The Man in the Moon

A Novel Menagerie asks us to post about a movie that you watched the week before. We usually watch quite a few movies over the weekend and it is sometimes difficult to only discuss one.

The movie that we watched this weekend that really touched my heart was The Man in the Moon.


Here are some of the details from the film:

Genre: Drama, Romance

Starring: Sam Waterston, Tess Harper, Gail Strickland, Reese Witherspoon, Jason London

Runtime: PG13

MPAA Rating: 1hr, 45mn

Here is a summary of the movie from the MSN Movie website:

In its elegiac nostalgia for the days of childhood innocence, Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon recalls another of Mulligan's earlier films, To Kill A Mockingbird. Set in a Louisiana backwater town in the 1950s, the film chronicles the coming-of-age of a young teenage girl. Dani (Reese Witherspoon) is a fourteen-year-old girl who shares a room with her seventeen-year-old sister Maureen (Emily Warfield). During hot summer nights, they sleep on the screened-in back porch of their home, talking about romance, the future, and the meaning of life. Moving into the house next door is a handsome seventeen-year-old boy, Court Foster ( Jason London). Court meets Dani at the local swimming hole and they are immediately attracted to each other; through Court, Dani experiences her first true and perfect love. But when Court meets Maureen, the sparks really fly and Maureen falls in love with him too. Now Maureen is torn between holding back her love for Court or accepting his love and betraying her sister. A tragic event makes Maureen's mind up for her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

My Movie Thoughts:
This is one of those movies that I said to myself "Where in the world was I when this was released in 1991?" Since my daughter was born in 1991 I was more than likely busy with a new baby in the home. This was such a sweet movie that not only looks into the dynamics of sisterly responsibility, but also first love. Dani is a tomboy in the beginning of the movie but quickly changes her habits once she runs into her new neighbor Court. Although Court feels a connection to Dani, he is also conflicted because he knows that their age difference is a problem. Once Court sets his eyes on Maureen there is an instant attraction between the two. Unfortunately, Dani feels betrayed by Maureen and their sisterly relationship suffers greatly. This movie has many twists and turns between all of the family members and Court, but this heart-wrenching story has a peaceful and forgiving ending. If you missed it like I did, I suggest that you watch it! This was one of Reese Witherspoon's first movies and at age 14 you could definitely tell that she was becoming an amazing and talented actress. I'm going to rate this one 5 out of 5 bags of popcorn.