One of Nicole Kidman's earliest movies
Ivonna | Bothell, WA USA | 01/09/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I rated this four stars because Nicole Kidman did an excellent job with her role. She is very sweet by playing a good friend to someone who doesn't deserve to be an outcast. But the story is familiar and predictable, with sparse humor, so I almost gave a three star rating. The movie isn't very long - only about an hour.
Nicole plays Carol, a teenager who is pushed by her father to be a great runner. He is trying to live his dreams through her. Her parents are strict with homework and curfews. She meets a girl at school who comes from the opposite situation; this girl's father often doesn't even know or care where his daughter has gone. This girl, Angie, looks different from others in the school - she has dyed, spiked, short hair. Carol's family is concerned about this new friendship.
The dilemma for Carol arises when she decides to make a choice on her own what to pursue - to be the best runner at the expense of other enjoyments or to live a more well-rounded life with the realization that could mean she will not be the best.
I would rate this movie PG. There were no drugs, sex, or language problems that I heard. Sometimes the australian accent was a bit difficult to dicipher. If I had turned up the volume it may have helped. The main characters do respectfully defy (I know it sounds like an oxymoron) authority figures at certain times in the movie. Defying might be too strong a word - but I will leave it in for concerned parents. It is primarily a classic teenager struggle to define him/herself without alienating too much the loved parents and coaches who may have different dreams. It is secondarily a story of friendship between two diverse girls when one is ready for a change. It comes down to Carol's choice in both matters."